Naut. [f. BUNT sb.1 + LINE.]
1. A rope fastened to the foot-rope of a sail and passing in front of the canvas, so as to prevent it from ‘bellying’ when being furled.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., v. 22. Bunt lines is … a small rope … to trice or draw vp the Bunt of the saile, when you farthell or make it vp.
1748. Anson, Voy., I. x. (ed. 4), 139. Endeavouring to hand the top-sails, the clew-lines and bunt-lines broke.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxiii. 70. The jigger was bent on to the slack of the buntlines.
2. Comb., as buntline-cringle; buntline-cloth, buntline-span (see quots.).
1794. Rigging & Seamanship, I. 86. Buntline Cloth, the lining sewed up the sail, in the direction of the buntline, to prevent the sail being chafed.
1882. Nares, Seamanship (ed. 6), 80. A buntline span is a short piece of rope, with a thimble spliced into one end, through which the buntline is rove; they are used to keep the sail, when hauled up by the buntlines, from being blown away from the yard.
