sail

Meaning

Noun

1. 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.
2. The concept of a sail or sails, as if a substance.
3. The power harnessed by a sail or sails, or the use of this power for travel or transport.
4. A trip in a boat, especially a sailboat.
5. A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.
6. The conning tower of a submarine.
7. The blade of a windmill.
8. A tower-like structure found on the dorsal (topside) surface of submarines.
9. The floating organ of siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man-of-war.
10. A sailfish.
11. an outward projection of the spine, occurring in certain dinosaurs and synapsids
12. Anything resembling a sail, such as a wing.

Verb

1. 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 steam or other power.
2. To move through or on the water; to swim, as a fish or a waterfowl.
3. To ride in a boat, especially a sailboat.
4. To set sail; to begin a voyage.
5. To move briskly and gracefully through the air.
6. To move briskly but sedately.
7. To deal out (cards) from a distance by impelling them across a surface.

Synonyms

navigate

cruise

canvas

voyage

float

drift

set sail

sheet

glide

drive

fly

✈️

depart

leave

bob

pilot

🧑‍✈️

canvass

go away

row

skitter

boat

⛵

soar

move gently

go

yacht

sweep

wing

🪽

cloth

sailing ship

sailing-ship

sails

scud

set off

set out

slide

start

steam

strut

swagger

swim

🏊

swim across

tarp

throw

take the field

towelling

tower

trip

vane

begin a journey

hoist sail

large amount

move along

sail cloth

sailing vessel

swift horse

sailing-vessel

brattice

slip along

walk slowly with an air

blade

tent fly

breeze

clothing

cross

departure

dorsal fin

flag

flight

✈️

flit

flow

gable

hasten

jaunt

large

many

mat

muslin

paddle

pass

plenty

ply

rack

ride

rise

run

sailcloth

sailing

Pronounced as (IPA)

/seɪl/

Etymology

From Middle English saile, sayle, seil, seyl, from Old English seġl, from Proto-West Germanic *segl, from Proto-Germanic *seglą. Cognate with West Frisian seil, Low German Segel, Dutch zeil, German Segel, Danish sejl, Swedish segel.