sail

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) 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. (uncountable) The concept of a sail or sails, as if a substance.
3. (uncountable) The power harnessed by a sail or sails, or the use of this power for travel or transport.
4. (countable, uncountable) A trip in a boat, especially a sailboat.
5. (countable, dated, uncountable) A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.
6. (countable, uncountable) The conning tower of a submarine.
7. (countable, uncountable) The blade of a windmill.
8. (countable, uncountable) A tower-like structure found on the dorsal (topside) surface of submarines.
9. (countable, uncountable) The floating organ of siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man-of-war.
10. (countable, uncountable) A sailfish.
11. (countable, uncountable) an outward projection of the spine, occurring in certain dinosaurs and synapsids
12. (countable, uncountable) 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. (intransitive) To set sail; to begin a voyage.
5. To move briskly and gracefully through the air.
6. (intransitive) To move briskly but sedately.
7. (transitive) To deal out (cards) from a distance by impelling them across a surface.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/seɪl/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: saile

Inherited from Old English: seġl

Cognate with Western Frisian: seil

Cognate with Low German: Segel

Cognate with Dutch: zeil

Cognate with German: Segel

Cognate with Danish: sejl

Cognate with Swedish: segel

Inherited from Middle English: sailen

Inherited from Old English: seġlan

Cognate with Western Frisian: sile

Cognate with Low German: seilen

Cognate with Dutch: zeilen

Cognate with German: segeln

Cognate with Danish: sejle

Cognate with Swedish: segla

Cognate with Icelandic: sigla

In summary

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.

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

Translations

voile

vela

vela

🕯️

Segel

segeln

zeil

navigare

żagiel

vela

🕯️

naviguer

velum

πανί

vela

navegar

zeilen