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.

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

2. (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 of this power for travel or transport.
4. (countable, uncountable)A trip in a boat, especially a sailboat.

   “Let's go for a sail.”

5. (countable, dated, uncountable)A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.

   “Twenty sail were in sight.”

   “"[…] 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."”

6. (countable, uncountable)The conning tower of a submarine.
7. (countable, uncountable)The blade of a windmill.

   “So furious had been the gusts, that high buildings in town had had the lead stripped off their roofs; and in the country, trees had been torn up, and sails of windmills carried away; and gloomy accounts had come in from the coast, of shipwreck and death.”

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.

    “We caught three sails today.”

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.

    “Like an eagle […]soaring / / To weather his broad sails.”

13. (abbreviation, acronym, alt-of)Acronym of snow avalanche impact landform.

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.

   “Fair ship, that from the Italian shore, ⁠Sailest the placid ocean-plains ⁠With my lost Arthur’s loved remains, Spread thy full wings, and waft him o’er.”

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.

   “We sail for Australia tomorrow.”

5. To move briskly and gracefully through the air.

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

   “[flavor text of the card "Spirit of the Winds"] A spirit of the wind that freely sails the skies.”

   “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. (intransitive)To move briskly but sedately.

   “The duchess sailed haughtily out of the room.”

7. (transitive)To deal out (cards) from a distance by impelling them across a surface.

   “He would sit his hat across the room, and we would sail cards into it.”