A vessel having one mast and fore-and-aft rig, consisting of aboom-and-gaff mainsail, jibs, staysail, and gaff topsail. The typicalsloop has a fixed bowsprit, topmast, and standing rigging, whilethose of a cutter are capable of being readily shifted. The sloopusually carries a centerboard, and depends for stability upon breadthof beam rather than depth of keel. The two types have rapidlyapproximated since 1880. One radical distinction is that a slop maycarry a centerboard. See Cutter, and Illustration in Appendix. Sloopof war, formerly, a vessel of war rigged either as a ship, brig, orschooner, and mounting from ten to thirty-two guns

now, any warvessel larger than a gunboat, and carrying guns on one deck only.

noun countable

a small sailing boat with one mast    单桅小帆船