Sail

Sail, sāl, n. a sheet of canvas, &c., spread to catch the wind, by which a ship is driven forward: a ship or ships: a trip in a vessel: a fleet: arm of a windmill: speed: a journey.—v.i. to be moved by sails: to go by water: to begin a voyage: to glide or float smoothly along.—v.t. to navigate: to pass in a ship: to fly through.—adj. Sail′able, navigable.—n. Sail′-boat, a boat propelled by a sail.—adjs. Sail′-borne; Sail′-broad (Milt.), broad or spreading like a sail.—n. Sail′-cloth, a strong cloth for sails.—adj. Sailed, having sails set.—ns. Sail′er, a sailor: a boat or ship with respect to its mode of sailing, or its speed; Sail′-fish, the basking shark: the quill-back; Sail′-fluke, the whiff; Sail′-hoop, a mast-hoop; Sail′ing, act of sailing: motion of a vessel on water: act of directing a ship's course: the term applied to the different ways in which the path of a ship at sea, and the variations of its geographical position, are represented on paper, as great circle sailing, Mercator's sailing, middle latitude sailing, oblique sailing, parallel sailing, plane sailing; Sail′ing-ice, an ice-pack through which a sailing-vessel can force her way.—n.pl. Sail′ing-instruc′tions, written directions by the officer of a convoy to the masters of ships under his care.—n. Sail′ing-mas′ter, a former name for the navigating officer of a war-ship.—adj. Sail′less, destitute of sails.—ns. Sail′-liz′ard, a large lizard having a crested tail; Sail′-loft, a loft where sails are cut out and made; Sail′-māk′er, a maker of sails: in the United States navy, an officer who takes charge of the sails; Sail′or, one who sails in or navigates a ship: a seaman; Sail′or-fish, a sword-fish; Sail′or-man, a seaman; Sail′or-plant, the strawberry geranium; Sail′or's-choice, the pin-fish: the pig-fish; Sail′or's-purse, an egg-pouch of rays and sharks; Sail′-room, a room in a vessel where sails are stowed.—adj. Sail′y, like a sail.—n. Sail′-yard, the yard on which sails are extended.—n.pl. Stay′-sails, triangular sails, suspended on the ropes which stay the masts upon the foresides—from the jib-boom, bowsprit, and deck in the case of the foremast, and from the deck in the case of the mainmast.—Sail close to the wind, to run great risk; Sailors' Home, an institution where sailors may lodge, or aged and infirm sailors be permanently cared for.—After sail, the sails carried on the mainmast and mizzen-mast; Fore-and-aft sails, those set parallel to the keel of a ship, as opp. to Square sails, those set across the ship; Full Sail, with all sails set; Make sail, to spread more canvas, in sailing; Set sail, to spread the sails, to begin a voyage; Shorten sail, to reduce its extent; Strike sail, to lower the sail or sails: (Shak.) to abate one's pretensions of pomp or superiority; Take the wind out of one's sails, to deprive one of an advantage; Under sail, having the sails spread. [A.S. segel, cf. Dut. zeil, Ger. segel.]