cruise

[ krooz ]

/ kruz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cruise ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), cruised, cruis·ing.

to sail about on a pleasure trip.

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

to travel about without a particular purpose or destination.

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

to travel at a moderately fast, easily controllable speed: cruising along the highway enjoying the scenery.

to travel about slowly, looking for customers or for something demanding attention: Taxis and police cars cruise in the downtown area.

to go or travel (often followed by over): Let's cruise over to my house after the concert.

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

verb (used with object), cruised, cruis·ing.

to cruise in (a specified area): patrol cars cruising the neighborhood; to cruise the Caribbean.

Informal.

to move slowly through or visit (a street, park, bar, etc.) in search of a sexual partner.
to make sexual overtures to; attempt to arouse the sexual interest of.

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

noun

the act of cruising.

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

Nearby words

cruelty, cruelty-free, cruet, cruft, cruikshank, cruise, cruise control, cruise missile, cruise ship, cruiser, cruiserweight

Origin of cruise

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

Related forms

cruis·ing·ly, adverb

Definition for cruise (2 of 2)

Cruise

[ krooz ]

/ kruz /

noun

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cruise

These skills are particularly needed when, as in the case of the AirAsia flight, the airplane is at cruise altitude.
Did Bad Weather Bring Down AirAsia 8501?|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nerd Cruise By Adam Rogers, Wired What 800 Nerds on a Cruise Ship Taught Me About Life, the Universe, and Snorkeling.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, Dec 22-28, 2014|William Boot|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He told the court he called the retired captain to see exactly where he lived so he knew when to sound the cruise ship horn.
The Costa Concordia’s Randy Reckless Captain Takes the Stand|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
More than 150 passengers on a California cruise ship came down with norovirus, continuing a trend that happens every year.
A Doctor Explains Why Cruise Ships Should Be Banned|Kent Sepkowitz|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It also has a close association with cruises and cruise ships.
A Doctor Explains Why Cruise Ships Should Be Banned|Kent Sepkowitz|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To cheer him up, the Captain invited him to join Mrs. Thomas and himself on a cruise in the Susan.
Two Knapsacks|John Campbell
However enjoyable this cruise might be to me, I had to think of abandoning it.
Their Majesties as I Knew Them|Xavier Paoli
Takin a cruise, or is this one of them new-fangled health cures?
The Boy Aviators' Flight for a Fortune|Wilbur Lawton
A man might cruise from here to Cochin China, in a dory, provided that he had enough hard-tack and water aboard.
Within the Capes|Howard Pyle
I recollect faring harder than this through one cruise, in a flush vessel.
Peter Simple|Frederick Marryat

British Dictionary definitions for cruise (1 of 2)

cruise

/ (kruːz) /

verb

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

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

(intr) to search for enemy vessels in a warship

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

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

noun

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

Word Origin for cruise

C17: from Dutch kruisen to cross, from cruis cross; related to French croiser to cross, cruise, Spanish cruzar, German kreuzen

British Dictionary definitions for cruise (2 of 2)

Cruise

/ (kruːz) /

noun

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)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012