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:
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:
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
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The Amerigo Vespucci, in from La Spezia with 406 people aboard, will unfurl its 28,363 square feet of sail and glide beneath the bridge named for its countryman Giovanni da Verrazzano.
—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
30 June 2026
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
Gwinnett was an English clergymen’s son who sailed for the colonies in 1762 and opened a general store in Savannah in 1765.
—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sail
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
With their billowing sails, teakwood decks and mazes of ropes and rigging, ships like Eagle draw throngs of visitors hoping to get a glimpse of the past.
—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The Amerigo Vespucci, in from La Spezia with 406 people aboard, will unfurl its 28,363 square feet of sail and glide beneath the bridge named for its countryman Giovanni da Verrazzano.
—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
30 June 2026
Verb
Among the 3,032 guests sailing on Ruby Princess, 102 reported being ill, along with 23 crew members, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
Gwinnett was an English clergymen’s son who sailed for the colonies in 1762 and opened a general store in Savannah in 1765.
—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
30 June 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 2 Jul. 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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