noun
sail
sayl
noun
1
A large piece of fabric rigged on a boat to catch the wind and drive it forward.
"The crew hoisted the mainsail as soon as they cleared the harbor."
verb
1
To travel across water using wind power or, more generally, by boat or ship.
"They sailed across the Atlantic in just under three weeks."
"We sailed past the lighthouse just before sunset."
2
To move smoothly and effortlessly through the air or through a situation.
"She sailed through the exam without any trouble."
How to Use Sail
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe fabric that catches wind on a boat, or the act of traveling by boat (or moving smoothly, in a figurative sense).
Common pairings
set sail
sail through
hoist the sail
Word Forms
sailed past tense, sails plural, sails singular
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Etymology
From Old English segl, from Proto-Germanic *seglą — related to German Segel and Dutch zeil.