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• cruise
  cruise

  verb (used without object)

  to sail about on a pleasure trip.
• Cruise
  Cruise

  noun

  Tom Thomas Cruise Mapother, 4th, born 1962, U.S. film actor.

cruise

¹ American  

[krooz] / kruz /

verb (used without object)

cruised, cruising

1. to sail about on a pleasure trip.

2. to sail about, as a warship patrolling a body of water.

3. to travel about without a particular purpose or destination.

4. to fly, drive, or sail at a constant speed that permits maximum operating efficiency for sustained travel.

5. to travel at a moderately fast, easily controllable speed.

   cruising along the highway enjoying the scenery.

6. to travel about slowly, looking for customers or for something demanding attention.

   Taxis and police cars cruise in the downtown area.

7. to go or travel (often followed byover ).

   Let's cruise over to my house after the concert.

8. Informal. to go about on the streets or in public areas in search of a sexual partner.

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verb (used with object)

cruised, cruising

1. to cruise in (a specified area).

   patrol cars cruising the neighborhood; to cruise the Caribbean.

2. Informal.

   1. to move slowly through or visit (a street, park, bar, etc.) in search of a sexual partner.

   2. to make sexual overtures to; attempt to arouse the sexual interest of.

3. to inspect (a tract of forest) for the purpose of estimating lumber potential.

noun

1. the act of cruising.

2. a pleasure voyage on a ship, usually with stops at various ports.

Cruise ² American  

[krooz] / kruz /

noun

1. Tom Thomas Cruise Mapother, 4th, born 1962, U.S. film actor.

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cruise ¹ British  

/ kruːz /

verb

1. (intr) to make a trip by sea in a liner for pleasure, usually calling at a number of ports

2. to sail or travel over (a body of water) for pleasure in a yacht, cruiser, etc

3. (intr) to search for enemy vessels in a warship

4. (intr) (of a vehicle, aircraft, or vessel) to travel at a moderate and efficient speed

5. informal (intr) to search the streets or other public places for a sexual partner

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noun

1. an act or instance of cruising, esp a trip by sea

Cruise ² British  

/ kruːz /

noun

1. Tom. original name Thomas Cruise Mapother. born 1962, US film actor; his films include Risky Business (1983), Top Gun (1986), Jerry Maguire (1989), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), War of the Worlds (2005), and Valkyrie (2008)

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Other Word Forms

• cruisingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of cruise

1645–55; < Dutch kruisen to cross, cruise, derivative of kruis cross

Explanation

If your mom announces “We’re taking a cruise!” then pack your bags. A cruise is a vacation spent on a ship that sails the ocean, periodically stopping in ports for sightseeing. Cruise can also be a verb that describes sailing around aimlessly for fun. You might cruise the canals of Venice in a small boat. If you don’t live in Venice, you can still cruise — but you might do it in your car. Cruise can be used to describe a leisurely drive taken just for fun. You might cruise around the neighborhood on a Saturday with no real destination in mind. Cruise can also describe traveling easily at a moderate speed.

Example Sentences

The upshot is that global cruise passenger volume has exploded.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

The man traveled on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius cruise ship where several cases of hantavirus, a disease typically carried by rodents, have killed at least three people, Switzerland’s Health Ministry added.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

The Foreign Office has said it is "working urgently" to get British nationals stuck on board a cruise ship struck by a deadly hantavirus outbreak home safely.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

The Andes virus, a rare type of hantavirus that can be spread between humans, is the cause of a deadly outbreak on a cruise ship that is still anchored off the coast of Cape Verde.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

There was a basket of chocolate goodies on the table, an iced-down bottle of sparkling cider on the nightstand, and a mint on the pillow with a handwritten note that said: Enjoy your cruise!

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• coast
• drift
• go
• meander
• navigate
• travel