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.
Unlike the previous shipments, which were carried by the Mexican navy, Monday's aid consignment was transported by a merchant ship, sailing under a Panamanian flag, AFP journalists observed.
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Sinoguards provides armed guards to protect ships sailing out of Fujiarah and five other locations in Asia and Africa, according to its website.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
Long Beach is set to host a number of events during the Olympics, including open-water swimming, rowing and sailing.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
This has led to more ships transporting goods between Asia and Europe sailing around Africa to avoid the Middle East.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
As soon as his second book was published, Elisha would be sailing to England to present one of the first copies to Sir Franklin’s widow in London.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
