plural noun

• A pair of horizontal struts attached to a sailing ship's mast to spread the rigging, especially at the head of a topmast.

  ‘The horns of the crosstrees are only shown as a cross section where they are situated in the centre of the bracket.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The most common design - in fact the only one I've ever seen in visiting a fairly substantial number of naval facilities - is the pole with crosstrees and no gaff.’
  • ‘I want you to step from the crosstrees onto that, but rest most of your weight against the yard - use the sail furled along the top to hang on to.’
  • ‘The tops, crosstrees and caps of some merchant ships were also white, while clippers and warships and also many merchant ships preferred the more somber black.’
  • ‘Its rigging is stacked in place over the crosstrees.’