The bunt of a sail is the middle part of it, which is purposely formed into a kind of curved bag, or cavity, so that the sail might receive more wind. It is chiefly used in topsails, for courses are for the most part cut square, or at least with a small allowance, for bunt or compass. Sailors would say, "the bunt holds much leeward wind", meaning that the bunt hangs too much to leeward. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al.