Rigging is the system of ropes, chains, and cables that support and control the sails and masts on a sailing ship. Think of it as the ship's intricate web of lines: some hold the masts upright, others raise and lower the sails, and still others adjust the sails' angles to catch the wind just right. A ship's rigging might include hundreds of different ropes, each with its own purpose and name.

Sailors had to learn the complex rigging of their ships, knowing exactly which line controlled which sail. Getting the rigging wrong could mean a torn sail or worse. In old sailing ships, crew members would climb high into the rigging to adjust sails or keep watch, a dangerous job that required courage and skill.

The word also means the act of setting something up or preparing it, often in a clever or improvised way. You might rig up a makeshift clothesline between two trees using rope and hooks. When someone rigs a contest or election, though, they're secretly arranging it so a particular person wins unfairly. This meaning connects to ship rigging because both involve carefully arranging a system of supports and controls to achieve a specific result.