Reef meaning
An example of a reef is the Great Barrier Reef which was formed when the sea levels rose, flooding the continental shelf of Australia, allowing the coral that were growing on the edges of the shelf to grow and begin form the reef.
An example of a reef is the rolled up part of a sail during a storm at sea.
Origin of reef
- Middle English riff from Old Norse rif ridge, reef
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Obsolete Dutch rif possibly from Old Norse ridge
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From Middle English ref, hreof, from Old English hrÄ“of (“rough, scabby, leprous", also "a leper"), from Proto-Germanic *hreubaz (“rough, scabby, scrubby"), from Proto-Indo-European *kreup- (“scab, crust"), related to Old English hrÄ“ofla (“leprosy, leper"). Cognate with Scots reif (“a skin disease leaving crusts on the skin, the scab"), Old High German riob (“leprous, scabby, mangy"), Icelandic hrjúfur (“scabby, rough"). Compare riffe, dandruff.
From Wiktionary
- From earlier riff, from Middle English rif, from Old Norse rif (“rib, reef"), from Proto-Germanic *ribjÄ… (“rib, reef"), from Proto-Indo-European *rebh- (“arch, ceiling, cover"). Cognate with Dutch rif (“reef"), Low German riff, reff (“reef"), German Riff (“reef, ledge"), Old English ribb (“rib"). More at rib.
From Wiktionary