Adjacent Words

Sail definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SAIL, n. [L. sal, salt.]
1. In navigation, a spread of canvas, or an assemblage of several breadths of canvas, [or some substitute for it,] sewed together with a double seam at the borders, and edged with a cord called the bolt-rope, to be extended on the masts or yards for receiving the impulse of wind by which a ship is driven. The principal sails are the courses or lower salts, the top-sails and top-gallant-sails.
2. In poetry, wings.
3. A ship or other vessel; used in the singular for a single ship, or as a collective name for many. We saw a sail at the leeward. We saw three sail on our star-board quarter. The fleet consists of twenty sail.
To loose sails, to unfurl them.
To make sail, to extend an additional quantity of sail.
To set sail, to expand or spread the sails; and hence; to begin a voyage.
To shorten sail, to reduce the extent of sail, or take in a part.
1. To strike sail, to lower the sails suddenly, as in saluting or in sudden gusts of wind.
2. To bate show or pomp.
SAIL, v.i.
1. To be impelled or driven forward by the action of wind upon sails, as a ship on water. A ship sails from New York for Liverpool. She sails ten knots an hour. She sails well close-hauled.
2. To be conveyed in a vessel on water; to pass by water. We sailed from London to Canton.
3. To swim.
Little dolphins, when they sail in the vast shadow of the British whale.
4. To set sail; to begin a voyage. We sailed from New York for Havre, June 15, 1824. We sailed from Cowes for New York, May 10, 1825.
5. To be carried in the air, as a balloon.
6. To pass smoothly along.
As is a wing'd messenger from heaven, when he bestrides the lazy pacing clouds, and sails upon the bosom of the air.
7. To fly without striking with the wings.
SAIL, v.t.
1. To pass or move upon in a ship, by means of sails.
A thousand ships were mann'd to sail the sea.
[This use is elliptical, on or over being omitted.]
2. To fly through
Sublime she sails th' aerial space, and mounts the winged gales.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel [syn: sail, canvas, canvass, sheet]
2: an ocean trip taken for pleasure [syn: cruise, sail]
3: any structure that resembles a sail v
1: traverse or travel on (a body of water); "We sailed the Atlantic"; "He sailed the Pacific all alone"
2: move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions; "The diva swept into the room"; "Shreds of paper sailed through the air"; "The searchlights swept across the sky" [syn: sweep, sail]
3: travel on water propelled by wind; "I love sailing, especially on the open sea"; "the ship sails on"
4: travel on water propelled by wind or by other means; "The QE2 will sail to Southampton tomorrow" [syn: voyage, sail, navigate]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English segl; akin to Old High German segal sail Date: before 12th century 1. a. (1) an extent of fabric (as canvas) by means of which wind is used to propel a ship through water (2) the sails of a ship b. plural usually sail a ship equipped with sails 2. an extent of fabric used in propelling a wind-driven vehicle (as an iceboat) 3. something that resembles a sail; especially a streamlined conning tower on a submarine 4. a passage by a sailing craft ; cruise • sailed adjective II. verb Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. a. to travel on water in a ship b. yacht 2. a. to travel on water by the action of wind upon sails or by other means b. to move or proceed easily, gracefully, nonchalantly, or without resistance <sails through all sorts of contradictions — Vicki Hearne> <the bill sailed through the legislature> c. to move through the air <the ball sailed over his head> 3. to begin a water voyage <sail with the tide> transitive verb 1. a. to travel on (water) by means of motive power (as sail) b. to glide through 2. to direct or manage the motion of (as a ship) • sailable adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a piece of material (orig. canvas, now usu. nylon etc.) extended on rigging to catch the wind and propel a boat or ship. 2 a ship's sails collectively. 3 a a voyage or excursion in a sailing-ship. b a voyage of specified duration. 4 a ship, esp. as discerned from its sails. 5 (collect.) ships in a squadron or company (a fleet of twenty sail). 6 (in pl.) Naut. a sl. a maker or repairer of sails. b hist. a chief petty officer in charge of rigging. 7 a wind-catching apparatus, usu. a set of boards, attached to the arm of a windmill. 8 a the dorsal fin of a sailfish. b the tentacle of a nautilus. c the float of a Portuguese man-of-war. --v. 1 intr. travel on water by the use of sails or engine-power. 2 tr. a navigate (a ship etc.). b travel on (a sea). 3 tr. set (a toy boat) afloat. 4 intr. glide or move smoothly or in a stately manner. 5 intr. (often foll. by through) colloq. succeed easily (sailed through the exams). Phrases and idioms: sail-arm the arm of a windmill. sail close to (or near) the wind 1 sail as nearly against the wind as possible. 2 come close to indecency or dishonesty; risk overstepping the mark. sail-fluke = MEGRIM(2). sailing-boat (or -ship or -vessel) a vessel driven by sails. sailing-master an officer navigating a ship, esp. Brit. a yacht. sailing orders instructions to a captain regarding departure, destination, etc. sail into colloq. attack physically or verbally with force. take in sail 1 furl the sail or sails of a vessel. 2 moderate one's ambitions. under sail with sails set. Derivatives: sailable adj. sailed adj. (also in comb.). sailless adj. Etymology: OE segel f. Gmc

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sail Sail, n. [OE. seil, AS. segel, segl; akin to D. zeil, OHG. segal, G. & Sw. segel, Icel. segl, Dan. seil. [root] 153.] 1. An extent of canvas or other fabric by means of which the wind is made serviceable as a power for propelling vessels through the water. Behoves him now both sail and oar. --Milton. 2. Anything resembling a sail, or regarded as a sail. 3. A wing; a van. [Poetic] Like an eagle soaring To weather his broad sails. --Spenser. 4. The extended surface of the arm of a windmill. 5. A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft. Note: In this sense, the plural has usually the same form as the singular; as, twenty sail were in sight. 6. A passage by a sailing vessel; a journey or excursion upon the water. Note: Sails are of two general kinds, fore-and-aft sails, and square sails. Square sails are always bent to yards, with their foot lying across the line of the vessel. Fore-and-aft sails are set upon stays or gaffs with their foot in line with the keel. A fore-and-aft sail is triangular, or quadrilateral with the after leech longer than the fore leech. Square sails are quadrilateral, but not necessarily square. See Phrases under Fore, a., and Square, a.; also, Bark, Brig, Schooner, Ship, Stay. Sail burton (Naut.), a purchase for hoisting sails aloft for bending. Sail fluke (Zo["o]l.), the whiff. Sail hook, a small hook used in making sails, to hold the seams square. Sail loft, a loft or room where sails are cut out and made. Sail room (Naut.), a room in a vessel where sails are stowed when not in use. Sail yard (Naut.), the yard or spar on which a sail is extended. Shoulder-of-mutton sail (Naut.), a triangular sail of peculiar form. It is chiefly used to set on a boat's mast. To crowd sail. (Naut.) See under Crowd. To loose sails (Naut.), to unfurl or spread sails. To make sail (Naut.), to extend an additional quantity of sail. To set a sail (Naut.), to extend or spread a sail to the wind. To set sail (Naut.), to unfurl or spread the sails; hence, to begin a voyage. To shorten sail (Naut.), to reduce the extent of sail, or take in a part. To strike sail (Naut.), to lower the sails suddenly, as in saluting, or in sudden gusts of wind; hence, to acknowledge inferiority; to abate pretension. Under sail, having the sails spread.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sail Sail, v. t. 1. To pass or move upon, as in a ship, by means of sails; hence, to move or journey upon (the water) by means of steam or other force. A thousand ships were manned to sail the sea. --Dryden. 2. To fly through; to glide or move smoothly through. Sublime she sails The a["e]rial space, and mounts the wing[`e]d gales. --Pope. 3. To direct or manage the motion of, as a vessel; as, to sail one's own ship. --Totten.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sail Sail, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sailed; p. pr. & vb. n. Sailing.] [AS. segelian, seglian. See Sail, n.] 1. To be impelled or driven forward by the action of wind upon sails, as a ship on water; to be impelled on a body of water by the action of steam or other power. 2. To move through or on the water; to swim, as a fish or a water fowl. 3. To be conveyed in a vessel on water; to pass by water; as, they sailed from London to Canton. 4. To set sail; to begin a voyage. 5. To move smoothly through the air; to glide through the air without apparent exertion, as a bird. As is a winged messenger of heaven, . . . When he bestrides the lazy pacing clouds, And sails upon the bosom of the air. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(sails, sailing, sailed) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. Sails are large pieces of material attached to the mast of a ship. The wind blows against the sails and pushes the ship along. The white sails billow with the breezes they catch. N-COUNT 2. You say a ship sails when it moves over the sea. The trawler had sailed from the port of Zeebrugge... VERB: V prep/adv 3. If you sail a boat or if a boat sails, it moves across water using its sails. I shall get myself a little boat and sail her around the world... For nearly two hundred miles she sailed on, her sails hard with ice... VERB: V n prep, V adv/prep 4. If a person or thing sails somewhere, they move there smoothly and fairly quickly. We got into the lift and sailed to the top floor... VERB: V prep/adv 5. see also sailing 6. When a ship sets sail, it leaves a port. Christopher Columbus set sail for the New World in the Santa Maria. PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR prep 7. to sail close to the wind: see wind

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Make sail, put to sea, get under way, set sail, begin a voyage. 2. Pass by water. 3. Swim. 4. Fly smoothly. 5. Glide, float. II. v. a. Navigate.

Moby Thesaurus

aeroplane, airlift, airplane, balloon, balloon sail, batten, be airborne, be effortless, be painless, boat, boltrope, breeze, canoe, canvas, carry sail, circumnavigate, clew, cloth, coast, course, cringle, cross, crossing, crowd of sail, cruise, dart, drift, earing, embark, ferry, fleet, flit, float, flow, fly, fly-by-night, flying kites, foot, fore gaff-topsail, fore topgallant sail, fore-and-aft sail, fore-skysail, fore-topmast staysail, fore-topsail, foreroyal, foresail, forestaysail, galley, get under way, ghost, give no trouble, glide, glissade, go by ship, go easily, go like clockwork, go off soundings, go on shipboard, go to sea, have way upon, head, hop, hover, hydroplane, ice-skate, jenny, jet, jib, jigger, leech, leg, leg-of-mutton sail, loose-footed sail, luff, lug, main gaff-topsail, main royal, main skysail, main-royal staysail, main-topsail, mainsail, make a passage, mizzen, mizzen skysail, mizzen staysail, mizzen-royal staysail, mizzen-topgallant sail, moonraker, moonsail, motorboat, muslin, navigate, ocean trip, parachute spinnaker, passage, pilot, plain sail, plane, plow the deep, ply, present no difficulties, press of sail, push off, put off, put to sea, rag, reduced sail, reef, reef point, reefed sail, ride, ride the sea, roll, roller-skate, row, royal, run, run smoothly, sail away, sail round, sail the sea, sailboat, sailing boat, sailing cruiser, sailing ship, sailing vessel, sailplane, scud, scull, sea trip, seafare, seaplane, set sail, shakedown cruise, shoot, shove off, sideslip, skate, skateboard, ski, skid, skim, skyscraper, sled, sleigh, slide, slip, slither, soar, spanker, spinnaker, spitfire, square sail, staysail, steam, steamboat, steer, stern staysail, storm trysail, sweep, take a voyage, take the air, take wing, tall ship, toboggan, topsail, traverse, trysail, volplane, voyage, waft, walk the waters, windboat, windjammer, windship, wing, work well, yacht