Square rig is a generic type ofsail and rigging arrangement in which the primary driving sails are carried on horizontalspars which are perpendicular, orsquare, to thekeel of the vessel and to the masts. These spars are calledyards and their tips, outside the lifts, are called theyardarms.[1] A ship mainly rigged so is called a square-rigger.[2]
In 'Jackspeak' (Royal Navy slang) it also refers to thedress uniform of Junior Ratings.
Single sail square rigs were used by the ancient Egyptians, the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Celts. Later the Scandinavians, the Germanic peoples, and the Slavs adopted the single square-rigged sail, with it becoming one of the defining characteristics of the classic “Viking” ships.[4]
