sail

• IPA^(key): /seɪl/, [seɪ̯ɫ]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪl
• Homophone: sale

From Middle English saile, sayle, seil, seyl, from Old English seġl, from Proto-Germanic *seglą (compare earlier Middle Low German segel and later Low German sail), cognate with Dutch zeil, German Segel, Danish sejl, Norwegian Bokmål seil, Norwegian Nynorsk segl from pre-Germanic/Celtic sek-lo (compare Welsh hwyl, Irish séol), from Proto-Indo-European *sek- 'to cut'. More at saw.

sail (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.
   • c. 1595–1596, William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. As it Hath Beene Sundry Times Publikely Acted, by the Right Honourable, the Lord Chamberlaine his Seruants, [London]: Printed by Iames Roberts, published 1600, OCLC 35186948, [Act II, scene i]:

     When we haue laught to ſee the ſailes conceiue / And grow big bellied with the wanton winde; […]

2. (nautical,uncountable) The concept of a sail or sails, as if a substance.

   Take in sail: a storm is coming.

3. (uncountable) The power harnessed by a sail or sails, or the use this power for travel or transport.
4. A trip in a boat, especially a sailboat.

   Let's go for a sail.

5. (dated, plural "sail") A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.

   Twenty sail were in sight.

6. The blade of a windmill.
7. A tower-like structure found on the dorsal (topside) surface of submarines.
8. The floating organ of siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man-of-war.
9. (fishing) A sailfish.

   We caught three sails today.

10. (paleontology) an outward projection of the spine, occurring in certain dinosaurs and synapsids
11. Anything resembling a sail, such as a wing.
    • Spenser

      Like an eagle soaring / To weather his broad sails.

• See also Thesaurus:sail

From Middle English sailen, saylen, seilen, seilien, from Old English seġlian (“to sail”), from Proto-Germanic *seglōną, *siglijaną (“to sail”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian sailje (“to sail”), German Low German seilen (“to sail”), Dutch zeilen (“to sail”), German segeln (“to sail”), Danish sejle (“to sail”), Swedish segla (“to sail”), Norwegian Bokmål segle (“to sail”), Icelandic - and Norwegian Nynorsk sigla (“to sail”).

sail (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.
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.

   We sail for Australia tomorrow.

5. To move briskly and gracefully through the air.
   • Shakespeare

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

   • 2002 March 20, Kazuki Takahashi, Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories (PlayStation video game, North American version), Konami:

     [flavor text of the card "Spirit of the Winds"]

     A spirit of the wind that freely sails the skies.

   • 2011 April 15, Saj Chowdhury, “Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest”, in BBC Sport‎:

     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.

6. To move briskly.

   The duchess sailed haughtily out of the room.

• besail
• sail close to the wind

• Alis, Isla, LIAs, LISA, Lias, Lisa, SiAl, ails, lais, lias, sial

sail

1. area

• sal

From Old Irish sal.

• IPA^(key): /salʲ/

sail f (genitive singular saile)

1. dirt, dross, impurity

   sail mhiotail ― metal dross

2. stain, defilement

   sail pheaca ― the stain of sin

• “sal” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• “sal” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1st ed., 1904, by Patrick S. Dinneen, page 589.
• "sail" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• Entries containing “sail” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

sail (plural sails)

1. (nautical) sail

• sailan
• sailön