sailing
Americannoun
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the activity of a person or thing that sails.
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the departure of a ship from port.
The cruise line offers sailings every other day.
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Navigation. any of various methods for determining courses and distances by means of charts or with reference to longitudes and latitudes, rhumb lines, great circles, etc.
noun
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the practice, art, or technique of sailing a vessel
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a method of navigating a vessel
rhumb-line sailing
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an instance of a vessel's leaving a port
scheduled for a midnight sailing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sailing
before 900; Middle English seiling, Old English seglung. See sail, -ing 1
Explanation
The activity or sport of riding in a boat that's propelled by the wind is sailing. If not even the slightest breeze is blowing, it's not a great day for sailing. Sailing can be as simple as jumping aboard a friend's sailboat and taking a ride on a lake. Being in charge of piloting the boat, shifting the sails, and keeping it moving on the water, is also sailing. If you're curious how it's done, you can take sailing lessons!
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.
Sato told the news outlet he was now staying with a relative and, despite his recent misadventure, was planning his next sailing trip, to the Philippines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Of that volume, roughly 3.5 million barrels a day have been sailing through the Bab al-Mandeb, mostly to buyers in Asia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
"Seafarers should not be forced or compelled to endanger their lives by sailing through conflict zones. Nor should they face the risk of reprisal by shipowners if they decline these assignments," said Mantoo.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Ships might start trying to sail north through the Suez Canal, though proceeding from there to Asia—where Saudi Arabia sells most of its oil—would then require sailing all the way around Africa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The creaking wooden sailing ships were crawling with rats.
From I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis
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.
