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sail

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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, 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. (initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Vela.
–verb (used without object)
8. to move along or travel over water: steamships sailing to Lisbon.
9. to manage a sailboat, esp. 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.
–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 or 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.
Use sail in a Sentence
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

Related forms:
sail⋅a⋅ble, adjective
sailless, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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sail   (sāl)   
n.  

  1. Nautical

    1. 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.

    2. The sails of a ship or boat.

    3. The superstructure of a submarine.

  2. pl. sail or sails Nautical A sailing vessel.

  3. Nautical A trip or voyage in a sailing craft.

  4. Something, such as the blade of a windmill, that resembles a sail in form or function.

v.   sailed, sail·ing, sails

v.   intr.

  1. Nautical

    1. To move across the surface of water, especially by means of a sailing vessel.

    2. To travel by water in a vessel.

    3. To start out on such a voyage or journey.

    4. To operate a sailing craft, especially for sport.

  2. To move along or progress smoothly or effortlessly: sailed into the room five minutes late; sailed through the exam; sailed through the red light.

v.   tr. Nautical

  1. To navigate or manage (a vessel).

  2. To voyage upon or across: sail the Pacific.

Phrasal Verb(s):
sail intoTo attack or criticize vigorously: sailed into the workmen for the shoddy job they were doing.

[Middle English seil, from Old English segl. Sail into, from obsolete sail, to attack, from Middle English sailen, short for assailen; see assail.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sail  (n.)
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 verb is O.E. segilan, from the same Gmc. source (cf. O.N. sigla, M.L.G. segelen, Ger. segeln).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Computing Dictionary

SAIL
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].
[The Jargon File]
(2001-06-22)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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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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