Illustration of sail
- 1 flying jib
- 2 jib
- 3 forestaysail
- 4 foresail
- 5 fore gaff-topsail
- 6 main-topmast staysail
- 7 mainsail
- 8 main gaff-topsail
1
a(1)
: an extent of fabric (such as canvas) by means of which wind is used to propel a ship through water
(2)
: the sails of a ship
b
plural usually sail
: a ship equipped with sails
2
: an extent of fabric used in propelling a wind-driven vehicle (such as an iceboat)
3
: something that resembles a sail
especially
: a streamlined conning tower on a submarine
see also under sail
sailed; sailing; sails
1
a
: to travel on water in a ship
b
: yacht
2
a
: to travel on water by the action of wind upon sails or by other means
b
: to move or proceed easily, gracefully, nonchalantly, or without resistance
My father sailed through Harvard in three years …—
Roger Angell
Roger Angellthe bill sailed through the legislature
c
: to move through the air
the ball sailed over his head
3
: to begin a water voyage
sail with the tide
1
a
: to travel on (water) by means of motive power (such as sail)
sail the ocean
b
: to glide through
2
: to direct or manage the motion of
sail a ship
see also sail into
Examples of sail in a Sentence
Noun
Wind filled the sails and our journey had begun.
raising and lowering the ship's sails
a sail to San Francisco
Verb
We'll sail along the coast.
He sailed around the world on a luxury liner.
She sailed the Atlantic coastline.
She's sailing a boat in tomorrow's race.
The ship was sailed by a crew of 8.
I've been sailing since I was a child.
a ship that has sailed the seven seas
We sat on the shore watching boats sail by.
We sail at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
They sail for San Francisco next week.
Recent Examples on the Web
Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
The ship set sail carrying Jewish refugees seeking safety in Cuba from Nazi persecution.
—Mary Damiano, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2026
Anniek Bao, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
This has disrupted standing deployment plans, scrambled ships to sail thousands of miles and put increasing strain on vessels and equipment that are already facing mounting maintenance issues.
—Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sail
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
Conte said the canopy, which has been in the works for a few years, is planned to have large sails in colors such as red, blue, orange, yellow and green.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 4 Feb. 2026
The ship set sail carrying Jewish refugees seeking safety in Cuba from Nazi persecution.
—Mary Damiano, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2026
Verb
This aerial view shows the Taiwanese cargo ship Yang Ming sailing out of the Panama Canal on the Pacific side in Panama City on October 6, 2025.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
This has disrupted standing deployment plans, scrambled ships to sail thousands of miles and put increasing strain on vessels and equipment that are already facing mounting maintenance issues.
—Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sail
Cite this Entry
“Sail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sail. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sail
1 of 2 noun
ˈsā(ə)l 
as last element in compounds often səl
1
a
: a sheet of fabric (as canvas) used to catch wind to move a craft through water or over ice
b
: the sails of a ship
under full sail
c
plural usually sail
: a ship with sails
2
: something like a sail
3
: a journey by ship
sail
2 of 2 verb1
: to travel on water in a ship
sail the seas
2
: to travel by a sailing craft
3
: to move or glide along
sailed into the room
4
: to manage the sailing of
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