sail

[seyl]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR sail ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

some similar piece or apparatus, as the part of an arm that catches the wind on a windmill.

a voyage or excursion, especially in a sailing vessel: They went for a sail around the island.

a sailing vessel or ship.

sailing vessels collectively: The fleet numbered 30 sail.

sails for a vessel or vessels collectively.

(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Vela.

verb (used without object)

to move along or travel over water: steamships sailing to Lisbon.

to manage a sailboat, especially for sport.

to begin a journey by water: We are sailing at dawn.

to move along in a manner suggestive of a sailing vessel: caravans sailing along.

to move along in a stately, effortless way: to sail into a room.

verb (used with object)

to sail upon, over, or through: to sail the seven seas.

to navigate (a vessel).

Verb Phrases

sail in/into, Informal.

to go vigorously into action; begin to act; attack.
to attack verbally: He would sail into his staff when work was going badly.

Idioms

in sail, with the sails set.

make sail, Nautical.

to set the sail or sails of a boat or increase the amount of sail already set.
to set out on a voyage: Make sail for the Leeward Islands.

set sail, to start a sea voyage: We set sail at midnight for Nantucket.

trim one's sails, Informal. to cut expenses; economize: We're going to have to trim our sails if we stay in business.

under sail, with sails set; in motion; sailing: It was good to be under sail in the brisk wind and under the warm sun.

Origin of sail

before 900; (noun) Middle English sail(e), seille, Old English segl; cognate with German Segel, Old Norse segl; (v.) Middle English seillen, saylen, Old English siglan, seglian; cognate with Dutch zeilen, Old Norse sigla

Related formssail·a·ble, adjectivesail·less, adjectiveun·sail·a·ble, adjectiveun·sailed, adjective

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

Related Words for sail

fly, shoot, move, run, navigate, float, drift, cross, sweep, leave, skim, cruise, reach, steer, soar, voyage, flit, dart, scud, embark

Examples from the Web for sail

Contemporary Examples of sail

They get $8 million to dredge the channel for pleasure boats to sail to Catalina Island.
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving
P. J. O’Rourke
December 20, 2014
The turbulent waters caused one of his oars to crack, which—without a motor or a sail—can be severely detrimental to his voyage.
Victor Mooney’s Epic Adventure for His Dead Brother
Justin Jones
October 19, 2014
Anytime we have to put up the sail or tack or do any maneuvering, it requires all hands on deck.
Inside Sailing’s Biggest Race
Lizzie Crocker
October 11, 2014
At best, they would be processed and free to return home to sail again.
Hundreds of Migrants are Reported Drowned by Traffickers Near Malta
Barbie Latza Nadeau
September 15, 2014
He wanted to sail around the Sea of Cortez; he had this weird little boat that in no way was ready nor was he a sailor.
The Drunken Downfall of Evangelical America's Favorite Painter
Zac Bissonnette
June 8, 2014

Historical Examples of sail

He didn't go on board till the morning on which the ship was to sail.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
A five, a four and the main,' shouted the big man, with a voice like the flap of a sail.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
A little later the larboard fore-sheet went, and the sail was split.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
We had a ship, a brig, and twelve schooners, fourteen sail in all.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
We set it, double-reefed, which made it but a rag of a sail, and yet the ship felt it directly.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for sail

sail

noun

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

a voyage on such a vessela sail down the river

a vessel with sails or such vessels collectivelyto travel by sail; we raised seven sail in the northeast

a ship's sails collectively

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

the conning tower of a submarine

in sail having the sail set

make sail

to run up the sail or to run up more sail
to begin a voyage

set sail

to embark on a voyage by ship
to hoist sail

under sail

with sail hoisted
under way

verb (mainly intr)

to travel in a boat or shipwe sailed to Le Havre

to begin a voyage; set sailwe sail at 5 o'clock

(of a vessel) to move over the waterthe liner is sailing to the Caribbean

(tr) to manoeuvre or navigate a vesselhe sailed the schooner up the channel

(tr) to sail overshe sailed the Atlantic single-handed

(often foll by over, through, etc) to move fast or effortlesslywe sailed through customs; the ball sailed over the fence

to move along smoothly; glide

(often foll by in or into) informal

to begin (something) with vigour
to make an attack (on) violently with words or physical force

Derived Formssailable, adjectivesailless, adjective

Word Origin for sail

Old English segl; related to Old Frisian seil, Old Norse segl, German Segel

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

Word Origin and History for sail

Old English segl "sail, veil, curtain," from Proto-Germanic *seglom (cf. Old Saxon, Swedish segel, Old Norse segl, Old Frisian seil, Dutch zeil, Old High German segal, German Segel), of obscure origin with no known cognates outside Germanic (Irish seol, Welsh hwyl "sail" are Germanic loan-words). In some sources (Klein, OED) referred to PIE root *sek- "to cut," as if meaning "a cut piece of cloth." To take the wind out of (someone's) sails (1888) is to deprive (someone) of the means of progress, especially by sudden and unexpected action, "as by one vessel sailing between the wind and another vessel," ["The Encyclopaedic Dictionary," 1888].

Old English segilan "travel on water in a ship; equip with a sail," from the same Germanic source as sail (n.); cognate with Old Norse sigla, Middle Dutch seghelen, Dutch zeilen, Middle Low German segelen, German segeln. Meaning "to set out on a sea voyage, leave port" is from c.1200. Related: Sailed; sailing.

Idioms and Phrases with sail

sail

In addition to the idioms beginning with sail

sail close to the wind
sail into
sail through
sail under false colors

also see:

(sail under) false colors
plain sailing
set sail
smooth sailing
take the wind out of one's sails
trim one's sails