sail
Americannoun
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sails
plural
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an area of canvas or other fabric extended to the wind in such a way as to transmit the force of the wind to an assemblage of spars and rigging mounted firmly on a hull, raft, iceboat, etc., so as to drive it along.
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some similar piece or apparatus, as the part of an arm that catches the wind on a windmill.
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a voyage or excursion, especially in a sailing vessel.
They went for a sail around the island.
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a sailing vessel or ship.
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sailing vessels collectively.
The fleet numbered 30 sail.
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sails for a vessel or vessels collectively.
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Astronomy. Sail, the constellation Vela.
verb (used without object)
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sails,
present (3rd person singular)
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sailed,
past participle, past
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sailing
present participle
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to move along or travel over water.
steamships sailing to Lisbon.
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to manage a sailboat, especially for sport.
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to begin a journey by water.
We are sailing at dawn.
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to move along in a manner suggestive of a sailing vessel.
caravans sailing along.
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to move along in a stately, effortless way.
to sail into a room.
verb (used with object)
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sails,
present (3rd person singular)
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sailed,
past participle, past
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sailing
present participle
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to sail upon, over, or through.
to sail the seven seas.
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to navigate (a vessel).
verb phrase
idioms
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set sail, to start a sea voyage.
We set sail at midnight for Nantucket.
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in sail, with the sails set.
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make sail,
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to set the sail or sails of a boat or increase the amount of sail already set.
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to set out on a voyage.
Make sail for the Leeward Islands.
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under sail, with sails set; in motion; sailing.
It was good to be under sail in the brisk wind and under the warm sun.
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trim one's sails, to cut expenses; economize.
We're going to have to trim our sails if we stay in business.
noun
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an area of fabric, usually Terylene or nylon (formerly canvas), with fittings for holding it in any suitable position to catch the wind, used for propelling certain kinds of vessels, esp over water
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a voyage on such a vessel
a sail down the river
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a vessel with sails or such vessels collectively
to travel by sail
we raised seven sail in the northeast
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a ship's sails collectively
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something resembling a sail in shape, position, or function, such as the part of a windmill that is turned by the wind or the part of a Portuguese man-of-war that projects above the water
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the conning tower of a submarine
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having the sail set
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to run up the sail or to run up more sail
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to begin a voyage
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-
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to embark on a voyage by ship
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to hoist sail
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-
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with sail hoisted
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under way
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verb
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to travel in a boat or ship
we sailed to Le Havre
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to begin a voyage; set sail
we sail at 5 o'clock
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(of a vessel) to move over the water
the liner is sailing to the Caribbean
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(tr) to manoeuvre or navigate a vessel
he sailed the schooner up the channel
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(tr) to sail over
she sailed the Atlantic single-handed
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to move fast or effortlessly
we sailed through customs
the ball sailed over the fence
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to move along smoothly; glide
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informal
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to begin (something) with vigour
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to make an attack (on) violently with words or physical force
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sailsimple
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sailssimple
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have sailedperfect
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has sailedperfect
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am sailingprogressive
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are sailingprogressive
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is sailingprogressive
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have been sailingperfect progressive
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has been sailingperfect progressive
Past
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sailedsimple
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had sailedperfect
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was sailingprogressive
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were sailingprogressive
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had been sailingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sail
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English sail(e), seille, Old English segl; cognate with German Segel, Old Norse segl; (verb) Middle English seillen, saylen, Old English siglan, seglian; cognate with Dutch zeilen, Old Norse sigla
Explanation
A sail is the big piece of cloth attached to a mast that propels a sailboat through the water by catching the wind. Part of learning to sail a boat is learning how to use the sails. Most sailboats have two sails, the mainsail and the jib or headsail on the front of the boat. When you sail, you pilot the boat, or simply ride on it — you can also say you go for a sail. Additionally, the verb sail is used when something seems to float on the air: "The kite sails high in the blue sky." You "sail through" something when it's very easy and quick.
Vocabulary lists containing sail
Higher Learning: Synonyms For "Up"
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"Encounter"
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Greetings, World Traveler! — List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Our main concern is his arrival won't be safe," she told AFP from Malaysia, requesting anonymity for security reasons after losing contact with her brother before the vessels set sail.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Then, in safer waters, national or third-party vessels await for ship-to-ship transfers from the convoys to then sail to the buyer’s final destinations.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Give your brain a workout: What’s an 11-letter “Enya hit with the repeated lyric ‘Sail away, sail away, sail away’ ”?
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026
It said hundreds of vessels are now part of shadow fleets that evade sanctions and sail without insurance, fragmenting supply chains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The dispute over who has the rights to what might be the richest ship ever to sail the seas continues today with no signs of a resolution in sight.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
A general-election victory for Mr. El-Sayed in an important swing state would put wind in the sails of the mobilizers as Democrats turn toward 2028.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
As she’s recently learned, it’s an adventure that sails smack into islands of musky internet trolls and clashes with cinematic and literary titans like Christopher Nolan and Joyce Carol Oates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
In the fictional, foggy town of “Widow’s Bay”—trying to sell itself as the next Martha’s Vineyard—Matthew Rhys smoothly sails through drama, horror and comedy with impressive range.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
At the end of the film, Matt Damon’s haggard Odysseus sails toward the unknown, accepting that he doesn’t deserve the comfort of a king.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Not a very well organized initial sortie for the invincible horde. Our chaps took the wind out of their sails, what?”
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Eight months after their arrival, both young people sailed back together to Berbice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
But Yamamoto’s throw to third sailed wide, allowing a run to score.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
The cynic in me says this ship appears to have sailed.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" sailed into a close third place, drawing another $7.4 million domestically, for an epic $1.64 billion over its nine-week global box office journey.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
They sailed quickly away from the islet as the sky got blacker and blacker.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
We got lost once, and our entourage received several perplexed glances from workers, but otherwise it was smooth sailing.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
"Most German ship captains say, that's too shallow, I'm not sailing there anymore," Matthias Roeser, from the German Inland Shipping Association, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
The fort’s new governor, Stephen Hendrik de la Sablonière, and his wife, Beata—Nieuwenhuijsen’s ancestors—arrived in early 1769 after a 78-day sailing voyage when Eleonora was 12.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
A fire broke out on the deck of a truck ferry sailing north of Mykonos on September 25.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
This dumb old Charlotte boat wasn’t sailing forward any longer; it was only bobbing up and down.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
