Sloop
n.
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A vessel having one mast and fore-and-aft rig, consisting of
a boom-and-gaff mainsail, jibs, staysail, and gaff topsail. The typical
sloop has a fixed bowsprit, topmast, and standing rigging, while those
of a cutter are capable of being readily shifted. The sloop usually
carries a centerboard, and depends for stability upon breadth of beam
rather than depth of keel. The two types have rapidly approximated
since 1880. One radical distinction is that a slop may carry a
centerboard. See Cutter, and Illustration in Appendix.