/brayl/ , n.
1. Naut. any of several horizontal lines fastened to the edge of a fore-and-aft sail or lateen sail, for gathering in the sail.
2. a leather binding for a hawk's wings, to prohibit flight.
v.t.
3. Naut.
a. to gather or haul in (a sail) by means of brails (usually fol. by up ).
b. to transfer (fish) from a net to the hold of a ship.
4. to bind (the wings of a bird) in order to prevent it from flying.
[ 1400-50; late ME, var. of brayell braiel; OF bracale breechbelt, n. use of neut. of bracalis, equiv. to L brac ( ae ) trousers ( -alis -AL 1 ]