noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English seiling, sailing, from gerund of seilen, sailen to sail — more at sail
1.
a. : the technical skill of managing a ship ; especially : the skill of directing a ship to a given place according to the rules of navigation : navigation
b. : the method of determining the course to be followed, the direction and distance to be sailed to reach a given point, and the position of a ship from dead reckoning
2.
a.
(1) : the sport or pastime of navigating or riding in a sailboat
(2) : the conditions under which one may sail
the sailing was excellent last month
b. : a trip or voyage in a ship
make a fast sailing
c. : a departure from a port ; especially : a scheduled departure of a liner