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Definition of 'sail'

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sail

(seɪl )
Word forms: sails, sailing, sailed
1. countable noun
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.
Synonyms: sheet, canvas   More Synonyms of sail
2. intransitive verb
You say a ship sails when it moves over the sea.
The trawler had sailed from the port of Zeebrugge.
3. transitive verb/intransitive verb
If you sail a boat or if a boat sails, it moves across water using its sails.
His crew's job is to sail the boat.
I'd buy a big boat and sail around the world.
Synonyms: pilot, steer, helm, navigate   More Synonyms of sail
4.  See also sailing
5. 
See to set sail
Phrasal verbs:
See sail through
More Synonyms of sail
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

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sail

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sail in American English

(seɪl )
noun
1. 
any of the shaped sheets of canvas or other strong material spread to catch or deflect the wind, by means of which some vessels and some land vehicles are driven forward
2. 
sails collectively
3. 
a sailing vessel or vessels
4. 
a trip in a ship or boat, esp. one moved by sails
5. 
anything like a sail, as an arm of a windmill
verb intransitive
6. 
a. 
to be moved forward by means of a sail or sails
b. 
to be moved forward on water by mechanical means such as a propeller
7. 
to move upon or travel by water
said of a vessel or its passengers
8. 
to begin a trip by water
9. 
to manage a sailboat, as in racing or cruising
10. 
to glide, float, or move steadily through the air
11. 
to move smoothly and with dignity, like a ship in full sail
12.  Informal
to move quickly
13.  US, Informal
to begin vigorously; throw oneself (into) with energy
14.  US, Informal
to attack, criticize, or reprimand someone severely: with into
verb transitive
15. 
to move through or upon (a body of water) in a boat or ship
16. 
to manage or navigate (a boat or ship)
Idioms:
make sail
sail against the wind
sail close to the wind
set sail
take in sail
under sail
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME seil, sail < OE segl, akin to Ger segel, prob. ult. < IE base *sek-, to cut > L secare, to cut, segmentum, segment
Word Frequency

sail in American English

(seil)
noun
1. 
an area of canvas or other fabric extended to the wind in such a way as to transmit the force of the wind to an assemblage of spars and rigging mounted firmly on a hull, raft, iceboat, etc., so as to drive it along
2. 
some similar piece or apparatus, as the part of an arm that catches the wind on a windmill
3. 
a voyage or excursion, esp. in a sailing vessel
They went for a sail around the island
4. 
a sailing vessel or ship
5. 
sailing vessels collectively
The fleet numbered 30 sail
6. 
sails for a vessel or vessels collectively
7. (cap) Astronomy
the constellation Vela
8.  See in sail
9.  See make sail
10.  See set sail
11.  See trim one's sails
12.  See under sail
intransitive verb
13. 
to move along or travel over water
steamships sailing to Lisbon
14. 
to manage a sailboat, esp. for sport
15. 
to begin a journey by water
We are sailing at dawn
16. 
to move along in a manner suggestive of a sailing vessel
caravans sailing along
17. 
to move along in a stately, effortless way
to sail into a room
transitive verb
18. 
to sail upon, over, or through
to sail the seven seas
19. 
to navigate (a vessel)
20.  See sail in {or} into
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Derived forms
sailable
adjective
sailless
adjective
Word origin
[bef. 900; (n.) ME sail(e), seille, OE segl; c. G Segel, ON segl; (v.) ME seillen, saylen, OE siglan, seglian; c. D zeilen, ON sigla]
Word Frequency

sail in British English

(seɪl )
noun
1. 
an area of fabric, usually Terylene or nylon ( formerly canvas), with fittings for holding it in any suitable position to catch the wind, used for propelling certain kinds of vessels, esp over water
2. 
a voyage on such a vessel
a sail down the river
3. 
a vessel with sails or such vessels collectively
to travel by sail
we raised seven sail in the northeast
4. 
a ship's sails collectively
5. 
something resembling a sail in shape, position, or function, such as the part of a windmill that is turned by the wind or the part of a Portuguese man-of-war that projects above the water
6. 
the conning tower of a submarine
7.  See in sail
8.  See make sail
9.  See set sail
10.  See trim one's sails
11.  See under sail
verb (mainly intr)
12. 
to travel in a boat or ship
we sailed to Le Havre
13. 
to begin a voyage; set sail
we sail at 5 o'clock
14. 
(of a vessel) to move over the water
the liner is sailing to the Caribbean
15. (transitive)
to manoeuvre or navigate a vessel
he sailed the schooner up the channel
16. (transitive)
to sail over
she sailed the Atlantic single-handed
17. (often foll by over, through, etc)
to move fast or effortlessly
we sailed through customs
the ball sailed over the fence
18. 
to move along smoothly; glide
19. (often foll by in or into) informal
a. 
to begin (something) with vigour
b. 
to make an attack (on) violently with words or physical force
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
sailable (ˈsailable)
adjective
sailless (ˈsailless)
adjective
Word origin
Old English segl; related to Old Frisian seil, Old Norse segl, German Segel

Examples of 'sail' in a sentence
sail

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
Wind energy can be changed into kinetic energy by the sails on a windmill.
Chapman, C. & Horsley, M. & Small, E. Technology Basic Facts (1990)
Only by going for a sail can you begin to understand the character of the boat.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
He had looked it over just after they set sail.
Gavin Weightman THE FROZEN WATER TRADE (2002)
He goes on to become the youngest person to sail solo around the globe.
The Sun (2016)
We now have two sails and it is well and truly sailing.
The Sun (2011)
These are the boats too large to sail with the rest of the flotilla.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
We sail in fragile vessels across a raging sea of uncertainty.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We escaped to the woods behind our ranch house and sailed our bathtub boats in the creek.
Christianity Today (2000)
Is the wind in their sails or are their sails flapping?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The sails on one windmill are folded up and point to where the wind had come from.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Time and time again we nearly had the sail to the yard when the wind tore it from our fingers.
Eric Newby A BOOK OF LANDS AND PEOPLES (2003)
They will see with whom the deal can sail smoothly, without headache.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Two years ago he became the youngest person to sail across the Atlantic.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He was fulfilling his life's dream to sail the world.
The Sun (2009)
In total, four ships will sail on 40 voyages of eight different itineraries in the region.
The Sun (2011)
Wooden ships were often hit by lightning and their masts could blow up, the sails and rigging catch fire and the crew be killed or inJured.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)

More idioms containing
sail

sail under false colours
sail close to the wind
take the wind out of someone's sail

Related word partners
sail
 

sail solo
sail straight

Trends of
sail

View usage over:

In other languages
sail

British English: sail /seɪl/ NOUN
Sails are large pieces of material attached to the mast of a boat.
I watched the sails disappear in the distance.
  • American English: sail /ˈseɪl/
  • Arabic: شِرَاع
  • Brazilian Portuguese: vela navio
  • Chinese: 帆
  • Croatian: jedro
  • Czech: plachta
  • Danish: sejl
  • Dutch: zeil
  • European Spanish: vela navegar
  • Finnish: purje
  • French: voile bateau
  • German: Segel
  • Greek: πανί
  • Italian: vela
  • Japanese: 帆
  • Korean: 돛
  • Norwegian: seil
  • Polish: żagiel
  • European Portuguese: vela navio
  • Romanian: velă
  • Russian: парус
  • Spanish: vela embarcación
  • Swedish: segel
  • Thai: ใบเรือ
  • Turkish: yelken
  • Ukrainian: вітрило
  • Vietnamese: cánh buồm
British English: sail /seɪl/ VERB
If you sail a boat, or if a boat sails, it moves across water.
I'd like to buy a big boat and sail around the world.
  • American English: sail /ˈseɪl/
  • Arabic: يُبْحِرُ
  • Brazilian Portuguese: velejar
  • Chinese: 航行
  • Croatian: jedriti
  • Czech: plout loď
  • Danish: sejle
  • Dutch: zeilen
  • European Spanish: navegar
  • Finnish: purjehtia
  • French: naviguer bateau
  • German: segeln
  • Greek: πλέω
  • Italian: navigare
  • Japanese: 航海する
  • Korean: 항해하다
  • Norwegian: seile
  • Polish: żeglować
  • European Portuguese: velejar
  • Romanian: a naviga
  • Russian: плыть
  • Spanish: navegar
  • Swedish: segla
  • Thai: แล่นเรือ, เดินเรือ
  • Turkish: gemiyle yolculuk etmek
  • Ukrainian: плисти
  • Vietnamese: đi thuyền

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sail

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  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'S'

Related terms of
sail

  • in sail
  • drag sail
  • full sail
  • gaff sail
  • make sail

  • View more related words

Source

Definition of sail from the Collins English Dictionary
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yoke or yolk?

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The oxen were harnessed together by a yoke. The oxen were harnessed together by a yolk.

broach or brooch?

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brooch
It was difficult to   the subject with him.

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The hole of my body was in pain. The whole of my body was in pain.

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blew
She fixed her pale   eyes on her father's.

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rung
He   me at my mother's. 
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Nov 21, 2021
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a song or poem appropriate to or greeting the dawn
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Scrabble score
for 'sail':
4

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wail or whale?

Which version is correct?
The wail of bagpipes could be heard in the distance. The whale of bagpipes could be heard in the distance.

hair or hare?

Which version is correct?
Outside my window sat a huge brown hair. Outside my window sat a huge brown hare.

suite or sweet?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
suite
sweet
We moved into a new   of offices.

whine or wine?

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whine
wine
The dog started to   in the background.

creak or creek?

Drag the correct answer into the box.
creak
creek
The door was pulled open with a  .
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