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sail

 [seyl]   Example Sentences Origin

sail

   [seyl]
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, especially 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.
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6.
sails for a vessel or vessels collectively.
7.
(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Vela.
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verb (used without object)
8.
to move along or travel over water: steamships sailing to Lisbon.
9.
to manage a sailboat, especially for sport.
10.
to begin a journey by water: We are sailing at dawn.
11.
to move along in a manner suggestive of a sailing vessel: caravans sailing along.
12.
to move along in a stately, effortless way: to sail into a room.

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Sail is always a great word to know.
So is rotation. Does it mean:
the movement or path of the earth or a heavenly body turning on its axis
a zodiacal constellation between Aries and Aquarius also called the Fishes
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
verb (used with object)
13.
to sail upon, over, or through: to sail the seven seas.
14.
to navigate (a vessel).
Verb phrase
15.
sail in/into, Informal.
a.
to go vigorously into action; begin to act; attack.
b.
to attack verbally: He would sail into his staff when work was going badly.
Idioms
16.
in sail, with the sails set.
17.
make sail, Nautical.
a.
to set the sail or sails of a boat or increase the amount of sail already set.
b.
to set out on a voyage: Make sail for the Leeward Islands.
18.
set sail, to start a sea voyage: We set sail at midnight for Nantucket.
19.
trim one's sails, Informal. to cut expenses; economize: We're going to have to trim our sails if we stay in business.
20.
under sail, with sails set; in motion; sailing: It was good to be under sail in the brisk wind and under the warm sun.
Origin:
before 900; (noun) Middle English sail(e), seille, Old English segl; cognate with German Segel, Old Norse segl; (v.) Middle English seillen, saylen, Old English siglan, seglian; cognate with Dutch zeilen, Old Norse sigla

Related forms
sail·a·ble, adjective
sail·less, adjective
un·sail·a·ble, adjective
un·sailed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To SAIL
Example Sentences
  • The more of the toy that floats above the water, the more sail area the wind has to act upon.
  • Hundreds of children were said to be aboard each vessel, singing as they set sail.
  • The four letter word for this stuff is actually an old acronym from the days of sail.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
sail (seɪl)
 
—n
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.  in sail having the sail set
8.  make sail
 a.  to run up the sail or to run up more sail
 b.  to begin a voyage
9.  set sail
 a.  to embark on a voyage by ship
 b.  to hoist sail
10.  under sail
 a.  with sail hoisted
 b.  under way
 
—vb (often foll by over, through, etc) (often foll by in or into)
11.  to travel in a boat or ship: we sailed to Le Havre
12.  to begin a voyage; set sail: we sail at 5 o'clock
13.  (of a vessel) to move over the water: the liner is sailing to the Caribbean
14.  (tr) to manoeuvre or navigate a vessel: he sailed the schooner up the channel
15.  (tr) to sail over: she sailed the Atlantic single-handed
16.  to move fast or effortlessly: we sailed through customs; the ball sailed over the fence
17.  to move along smoothly; glide
18.  informal
 a.  to begin (something) with vigour
 b.  to make an attack (on) violently with words or physical force
 
[Old English segl; related to Old Frisian seil, Old Norse segl, German Segel]
 
'sailable
 
—adj
 
'sailless
 
—adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

sail
O.E. segl, from P.Gmc. *seglom (cf. Swed. segel, O.N. segl, O.Fris. seil, Du. zeil, O.H.G. segal, Ger. Segel), of obscure origin with no known cognates outside Gmc. Ir. seol, Welsh hwyl "sail" are Gmc. loan-words. Sometimes referred to PIE root *sek- "to cut," as if meaning "a cut piece of cloth." The
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verb is O.E. segilan, from the same Gmc. source (cf. O.N. sigla, M.L.G. segelen, Ger. segeln).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

SAIL definition


1. Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
2. Stanford Artificial Intelligence Language.
3. An early system on the Larc computer.
[Listed in CACM 2(5):16, May 1959].
[Jargon File]
(2001-06-22)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

sail

In addition to the idioms beginning with sail, also see (sail under) false colors; plain sailing; set sail; smooth sailing; take the wind out of one's sails; trim one's sails.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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