Definition of "sail"

sail¹

/seɪl/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural sails
1. (nautical) 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.
  Quotations
  When we haue laught to ſee the ſailes conceiue / And grow big bellied with the wanton winde; […]
  c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene i]
2. (nautical, 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. A trip in a boat, especially a sailboat.
5. (dated, plural "sail") A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.
  Quotations
  " […] The quay is upwards of 1,000 feet in length, and capable of accommodating more than 100 sail of traders; and there are generally a considerable number of vessels of from 40 to 300 tons burden, from various parts of the world, waiting to receive their cargoes."
  1945 May and June, Charles E. Lee, “The Penrhyn Railway and its Locomotives—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 142, text published 1848
6. (nautical) 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. (fishing) A sailfish.
11. (paleontology) an outward projection of the spine, occurring in certain dinosaurs and synapsids
12. Anything resembling a sail, such as a wing.
  Quotations
  Like an eagle […] soaring / / To weather his broad sails.
  1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 42

sail²

/seɪl/

verb
third-person singular simple present sails, present participle sailing, simple past and past participle sailed
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.
  Quotations
  Fair ship, that from the Italian shore,⁠Sailest the placid ocean-plains⁠With my lost Arthur’s loved remains,Spread thy full wings, and waft him o’er.
  1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], canto IX
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.
  Quotations
  As is a winged messenger of heaven, […] / When he bestrides the lazy pacing clouds, / And sails upon the bosom of the air.
  c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene ii]
  [flavor text of the card "Spirit of the Winds"] A spirit of the wind that freely sails the skies.
  2002 March 20, Kazuki Takahashi, Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories (PlayStation video game, North American version), Konami
  A hopeful ball from Forest right-back Brendan Moloney to the left edge of the area was met first by Ruddy but his attempted clearance rebounded off Tyson's leg and sailed in.
  2011 April 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest”, in BBC Sport‎
6. (intransitive) To move briskly but sedately.
7. (card games, transitive) To deal out (cards) from a distance by impelling them across a surface.
  Quotations
  He would sit his hat across the room, and we would sail cards into it.
  2007, Johnny Hughes, Texas Poker Wisdom, page 22

Definition of "sail"

sail1

noun

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sail2

verb

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sail¹

sail²