Junk (redirected from junks)

junk

Modern junk with traditional matting sails and a European-type jib

(credit: BBC Hulton Picture Library)

Classic Chinese sailing vessel of ancient unknown origin, still in wide use. High-sterned, with a projecting bow, the junk carries up to five masts on which are set square sails consisting of panels of linen or matting flattened by bamboo strips. Each sail can be spread or closed at a pull, like a venetian blind. The massive rudder takes the place of a keel. Chinese junks were sailing to Indonesian and Indian waters by the early Middle Ages.

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junk

a sailing vessel used in Chinese waters and characterized by a very high poop, flat bottom, and square sails supported by battens

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Junk 

a wooden cargo sailboat with two to four masts, used for navigating the rivers and seacoasts of Southeast Asia. During the era of sailing ships, junks were used for military purposes; today they are used for transporting cargo, frequently also serving as dwellings. Junks have a shallow draft and a cargo capacity of up to 600 tons. Other characteristics include a very broad, almost rectangular, upraised prow and stern and quadrangular sails made of mats and bamboo poles.