from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. Nautical A piece of fabric sewn together and fitted to the spars and rigging of a vessel so as to convert the force of the wind into forward motion of the vessel.
- n. Nautical The sails of a ship or boat.
- n. Nautical The superstructure of a submarine.
- n. Nautical A sailing vessel.
- n. Nautical A trip or voyage in a sailing craft.
- n. Something, such as the blade of a windmill, that resembles a sail in form or function.
- intransitive v. Nautical To move across the surface of water, especially by means of a sailing vessel.
- intransitive v. Nautical To travel by water in a vessel.
- intransitive v. Nautical To start out on such a voyage or journey.
- intransitive v. Nautical To operate a sailing craft, especially for sport.
- intransitive v. To move along or progress smoothly or effortlessly: sailed into the room five minutes late; sailed through the exam; sailed through the red light.
- transitive v. Nautical To navigate or manage (a vessel).
- transitive v. Nautical To voyage upon or across: sail the Pacific.
- sail into To attack or criticize vigorously: sailed into the workmen for the shoddy job they were doing.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. A piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged such that it causes the wind to drive the boat along. The sail may be attached to the boat via a combination of mast, spars and ropes.
- n. The power harnessed by a sail or sails, or the use this power for travel or transport.
- n. A trip in a boat, especially a sailboat.
- n. The blade of a windmill.
- n. A tower-like structure found on the dorsal (topside) surface of submarines.
- n. The floating organ of siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man-of-war.
- n. A sailfish.
- v. To ride in a boat, especially a sailboat.
- v. To move briskly and gracefully through the air.
- v. To move briskly.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- n. 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.
- n. Anything resembling a sail, or regarded as a sail.
- n. A wing; a van.
- n. The extended surface of the arm of a windmill.
- n. A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.
- n. A passage by a sailing vessel; a journey or excursion upon the water.
- intransitive v. 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.
- intransitive v. To move through or on the water; to swim, as a fish or a water fowl.
- intransitive v. To be conveyed in a vessel on water; to pass by water.
- intransitive v. To set sail; to begin a voyage.
- intransitive v. To move smoothly through the air; to glide through the air without apparent exertion, as a bird.
- transitive v. 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.
- transitive v. To fly through; to glide or move smoothly through.
- transitive v. To direct or manage the motion of, as a vessel.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To move along through or over the water by the action of the wind upon sails; by extension, to move along through or over the water by means of sails, oars, steam, or other mechanical agency.
- To set sail; hoist sail and depart; begin a journey on shipboard: as, to sail at noon.
- To journey by water; travel by ship.
- To swim, as a fish or a swan.
- To fly without visible movement of the wings, as a bird; float through the air; pass smoothly along; glide: as, the clouds sail across the sky.
- Hence, figuratively To move forward impressively, as if in the manner of a ship with all sail set.
- To plunge forward, like a ship; rush forward: sometimes with in.
- To move or act with great caution; be in circumstances requiring careful action.
- To live closely up to one's income; be straitened for money.
- To move or pass over or upon by the action of the wind upon sails, or, by extension, by the propelling power of oars, steam, etc.
- To direct or manage the motion, movements, and course of; navigate: as, to sail a ship.
- To dance.
- To assail.
- In lawn-tennis, to rise after crossing the net: said of a ball.
- n. A piece of cloth, or a texture or tissue of some kind, spread to the wind to cause, or assist in causing, a vessel to move through the water.
- n. That part of the arm of a windmill which catches the wind.
- n. One of the canvas flaps of a cart or wagon.
- n. Figuratively, a wing.
- n. A single ship or vessel, especially a ship considered as one of a number: the same form in the singular and the plural: as. at noon we sighted a sail and gave chase; a fleet of twenty sail.
- n. A fleet.
- n. Sailing qualities; speed.
- n. A journey or excursion upon water; a passage in a vessel or boat.
- n. A ride in a cart or other conveyance.
- n. In zoology, a structure or formation of parts suggesting a sail in shape or use.
- n. To spread more sail; hasten on by spreading more sail.
- n. To abate show or pomp.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
- v. travel on water propelled by wind
- n. any structure that resembles a sail
- v. move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions
- n. an ocean trip taken for pleasure
- v. travel on water propelled by wind or by other means
- v. traverse or travel on (a body of water)
"Then," said Mr. Hall, "I should think, on the whole, that, in such a place as this, where there are so many regular sail boats, and where excursions on the lake in them are so common and so well recognized as a distinct amusement, the phrase _taking a sail_ ought to be held to mean going in a sail boat, and that making a voyage in a steamer would not be fulfilling the promise."
"Then the sky narrowed at the edges and he began screaming at a panicky squire, "Back sail, _back sail_!"
Aboard ship, Dana discovers that to sail is to tread the line between life and death.
Steering the sail is akin to steering a paraglider or parachute — the “autopilot” pod flying just under the kite shortens one side to dump wind and turn.
I think that he had never been entirely reconciled to the heathenish invention which I called a sail, and that down in the bottom of his heart he believed that the paddlers would eventually overhaul us; but now he couldn't praise it enough.
I'd like to know how large the sail is when it's unfurled.
What would stop Israel from setting up an investigation into complicty of the Turkish government in a premeditated armed attack on IDF commandoes by armed mercenaries and militants linked to known terrorist groups, who set sail from a Turkish port with the goal of breaking an Israeli blockade, and chanting “Khyber, khyber, beware O Jews”, and “Go back to Auschwitz” and various slogans glorifying jihad and martyrdom?
Andrés de Urdaneta sets sail from the Philippine Islands on what eventually becomes recognized as a landmark voyage in sailing history.
It is no slight matter for two men, particularly when a stiff wind has sprung up, to handle a vessel like the Ghost, steering, keeping look-out for the boats, and setting or taking in sail; so it devolved upon me to learn, and learn quickly.
I've done some sailing myself, and this naming a craft when its sail is only a blur, or naming a man by the sound of his anchor — it's — it's unadulterated poppycock.