Tack
in nautical language: (1) The lower forward corner of a fore-and-aft sail. (2) The lower, weather corner of a course, or lower square sail. (3) The rope by which the forward lower corner and confined. (4) A rope by which the lower corner of a studding-sail is drawn outward and held to the boom.
Hence, the course of a ship in regard to the position of her sails; as, the starboard tack or port tack; the former when (5) TACK she is close-hauled with the wind on her starboard, the latter when close-hauled with the wind on her port side. To tack is to change the course of a ship by shifting the tacks and position of the sails from one side to the other; to alter the course of a ship through the shifting of the tacks and sails. Tacking is an operation by which, when a ship is proceeding in a course making any acute angle with the direction of the wind on one of her bows, her head is turned toward the wind, so that she may sail in a course making nearly the same angle on the other bow. This is effected by means of the rudder and sails. A small sharppointed nail.