Definition of "sail" in Anglais

noun

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.

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 of 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. (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.

    • We caught three sails today.

11. (paleontology) an outward projection of the spine, occurring in certain dinosaurs and synapsids

12. Anything resembling a sail, such as a wing.

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.

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.

6. (intransitive) To move briskly but sedately.

   • The duchess sailed haughtily out of the room.

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