reef
noun/riːf/
/riːf/
- a long line of rocks or sand near the surface of the sea
- a coral reef
- the Great Barrier Reef
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- a part of a sail that can be tied or rolled up to make the sail smaller in a strong wind
Word Originnoun sense 1 late 16th cent. (earlier as riff): from Middle Low German and Middle Dutch rif, ref, from Old Norse rif, literally ‘rib’, used in the same sense. noun sense 2 Middle English: from Middle Dutch reef, rif, from Old Norse rif, literally ‘rib’, used in the same sense.
Check pronunciation:
reef