I. ˈsāl, esp before pause or consonant -āəl noun
( -s ; see sense 1b )
Etymology: Middle English seil, sail, from Old English segl; akin to Old Frisian seil sail, Old Saxon segel, Old High German segal, Old Norse segl sail, sægr piece torn off of something, strip, sög saw — more at saw
1.
a. : an extent of canvas or other fabric by means of which the wind is used to propel ships through the water ; collectively : the sails of a ship
boats large enough to carry sail — Thor Heyerdahl
b. plural usually sail : sailing ship
saw one sail , a brig — Arnold Bennett
its mackerel fleet comprised seventy sail — Elizabeth Coatsworth
a good many sails in the bay — G.W.Brace
2. : an extent of fabric used in propelling a wind-driven vehicle (as an iceboat)
3. : something that resembles a sail: as
a. : the extended surface of the arm of a windmill
b. : a wing of a bird (as a hawk)
c. : fin
d. : tentacle
e. : a streamlined conning tower on a submarine
4. Africa : buck sail
5.
[ sail (II) ]
a.
(1) obsolete : sailing ability
finding his ship but ill of sail — William Monson
(2) : the handling and navigation of ships under sail as distinct from under steam
b.
(1) : a passage by a sailing ship : cruise
a sail upon the bay
a sail around the world
(2) : the distance coverable in a specified period of sailing
two days' sail from port
c. obsolete : a group sailing together
a large sail of ducks passed here — Jonathan Swift
•
- under sail
[s]sail.jpg[/s] [
sail 1a (of a schooner): 1 flying jib, 2 jib, 3 forestaysail, 4 foresail, 5 fore gaff-topsail, 6 main-topmast staysail, 7 mainsail, 8 main gaff-topsail
]
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English seilen, sailen, from Old English seglian, seglan; akin to Middle Low German segelen to sail, Middle High German segelen, sigelen, Old Norse sigla; denominative from the stem of English sail (I)
intransitive verb
1.
a.
(1) : to travel on water in a ship propelled by the wind
(2) : to travel in a ship propelled by steam or other means
sail down the river by steamer
b. : to take trips in or manage a sailboat for pleasure : yacht
2.
a. : to move forward (as of a ship on water) by the action of wind upon sails
b. : to move forward on water by the action of steam or other motive power
c. : to move without visible effort through or on the water
the swan sailing on the lake
3. : to begin a water voyage
sail with the tide
4. : to glide through the air without apparent exertion
the white clouds sailed across the sky — William Black
5. : to travel or go in any of various manners: as
a. : to stride in a stately, pompous, or proud manner
sailed gracefully into the room — L.C.Douglas
b. : to move without effort
held the door for us and we sailed through — P.E.Deutschman
c. : to move or arrive so as to attract attention or create a disturbance
sail up in their big new car
6.
a. : to begin vigorously to do something : attack with gusto — used with in or into
coffee and sandwiches, which I sailed into with … gratitude — H.A.Chippendale
b. : to attack a person with words or blows — used with in or into
with questions and complaints, one after another sailed into him — A.R.Williams
transitive verb
1.
a. : to move or travel upon (water) by means of sail, steam, or other motive power
trawlers sailing the fishing grounds
the first man to sail these waters
b. : to fly through : glide or move smoothly through
gray hawks … sailing the sky — J.M.Synge
2. : to direct or manage the motion of (a ship or glider)
tugboats and the men who sail them — advt
3. : to cause to move smoothly through the air
sail a discus