Sail

Definition of Sail

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.

Behoves him now both sail and oar.

- Milton.

Anything resembling a sail, or regarded as a sail.

A wing; a van.

Like an eagle soaring
To weather his broad sails.

- Spenser.

The extended surface of the arm of a windmill.

A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.

A passage by a sailing vessel; a journey or excursion upon the water.

Sail burton
(Naut.) a purchase for hoisting sails aloft for bending.

Sail fluke
(Zool.) the whiff.

Sail hook
a small hook used in making sails, to hold the seams square.

Sail loft
a loft or room where sails are cut out and made.

Sail room
(Naut.) a room in a vessel where sails are stowed when not in use.

Sail yard
(Naut.) the yard or spar on which a sail is extended.

Shoulder-of-mutton sail
(Naut.) a triangular sail of peculiar form. It is chiefly used to set on a boat's mast.

To crowd sail
(Naut.) See under Crowd.

To loose sails
(Naut.) to unfurl or spread sails.

To make sail
(Naut.) to extend an additional quantity of sail.

To set a sail
(Naut.) to extend or spread a sail to the wind.

To set sail
(Naut.) to unfurl or spread the sails; hence, to begin a voyage.

To shorten sail
(Naut.) to reduce the extent of sail, or take in a part.

To strike sail
(Naut.) to lower the sails suddenly, as in saluting, or in sudden gusts of wind; hence, to acknowledge inferiority; to abate pretension.

Under sail
having the sails spread.

v. i.

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.

[imp. & p. p. Sailed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Sailing.]

To move through or on the water; to swim, as a fish or a water fowl.

To be conveyed in a vessel on water; to pass by water; as, they sailed from London to Canton.

To set sail; to begin a voyage.

To move smoothly through the air; to glide through the air without apparent exertion, as a bird.

As is a winged messenger of heaven, . . .
When he bestrides the lazy pacing clouds,
And sails upon the bosom of the air.

- Shak.

v. t.

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.

A thousand ships were manned to sail the sea.

- Dryden.

To fly through; to glide or move smoothly through.

Sublime she sails
The aërial space, and mounts the wingèd gales.

- Pope.

To direct or manage the motion of, as a vessel; as, to sail one's own ship.

Related Words

aeroplane, airlift, airplane, balloon, balloon sail, batten, be airborne, be effortless, be painless, boat, boltrope, breeze, canoe, canvas, carry sail, circumnavigate, clew, cloth, coast, course, cringle, cross, crossing, crowd of sail, cruise, dart, drift, earing, embark, ferry, fleet, flit, float, flow, fly, fly-by-night, flying kites, foot, fore gaff-topsail, fore topgallant sail, fore-and-aft sail, fore-skysail, fore-topmast staysail, fore-topsail, foreroyal, foresail, forestaysail, galley, get under way, ghost, give no trouble, glide, glissade, go by ship, go easily, go like clockwork, go off soundings, go on shipboard, go to sea, have way upon, head, hop, hover, hydroplane, ice-skate, jenny, jet, jib, jigger, leech, leg, leg-of-mutton sail, loose-footed sail, luff, lug, main gaff-topsail, main royal, main skysail, main-royal staysail, main-topsail, mainsail, make a passage, mizzen, mizzen skysail, mizzen staysail, mizzen-royal staysail, mizzen-topgallant sail, moonraker, moonsail, motorboat, muslin, navigate, ocean trip, parachute spinnaker, passage, pilot, plain sail, plane, plow the deep, ply, present no difficulties, press of sail, push off, put off, put to sea, rag, reduced sail, reef, reef point, reefed sail, ride, ride the sea, roll, roller-skate, row, royal, run, run smoothly, sail away, sail round, sail the sea, sailboat, sailing boat, sailing cruiser, sailing ship, sailing vessel, sailplane, scud, scull, sea trip, seafare, seaplane, set sail, shakedown cruise, shoot, shove off, sideslip, skate, skateboard, ski, skid, skim, skyscraper, sled, sleigh, slide, slip, slither, soar, spanker, spinnaker, spitfire, square sail, staysail, steam, steamboat, steer, stern staysail, storm trysail, sweep, take a voyage, take the air, take wing, tall ship, toboggan, topsail, traverse, trysail, volplane, voyage, waft, walk the waters, windboat, windjammer, windship, wing, work well, yacht

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