間ま切ぎる

ま

ぎ

る

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

plow through waves; tack against the wind

Nautical term for a vessel moving forward through rough water or sailing close-hauled against the wind. Rare in everyday conversation; mostly found in maritime contexts.

船ふねは高たか波なみを間ま切ぎって進すすんだ。
The ship plowed through the high waves.
ヨットが風かざ上かみに間ま切ぎる。
The yacht tacks upwind.

Kanji

間interval, space
切cut, cutoff, be sharp

Similar words

切きる
間切る contains 切る (to cut), but the compound is a specialized nautical verb, not a literal cutting action.
タッキング
タッキング is a loanword for 'tacking' in sailing, while 間切る is the native Japanese term with a broader sense of pushing through waves.

Etymology

Compound of 間 (ma, 'interval' or 'space') and 切る (kiru, 'to cut'), literally 'to cut through a space'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is firmly established in nautical vocabulary.