† passaree, n. Naut. Obs.
(pæsəˈriː)
Also 7 pass-a-ree, 9 pazaree.
[Origin obscure. Littré has F. passeresse, fem. of passeur ‘passer’, applied to small ropes serving to supplement the brails; but connexion is uncertain.]
A rope or tackle used to spread the clews and haul down the sheet-blocks of the foresail and mainsail when sailing large before the wind: see quot. 1867.
| 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. i. ii. 18 Hawl aft the fore-Sheet, bring him down to the Cat-head with a pass-a-ree. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1776), Passaree, a rope used to fasten the main-tack down to the ship's side, a little behind the chess-tree,..very rarely used,..in light breezes of wind. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Passaree, or Passarado, a rope..to haul out the clues of the fore-sail to tail-blocks on the booms, so as to full-spread the foot of that sail. |
Hence † passaˈree v. trans., to spread the clews of the foresail and mainsail with a passaree.
| 1884 Luce Text-bk. Seamanship 435 (Cent.) With stun'sails both sides, passaree the foresail, by means of a rope on each side, secured to the clew of the foresail, and rove through a bull's eye on the lower boom. |