Definition of sail verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sail

verb

/seɪl/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they sail	/seɪl/ /seɪl/
he / she / it sails	/seɪlz/ /seɪlz/
past simple sailed	/seɪld/ /seɪld/
past participle sailed	/seɪld/ /seɪld/
-ing form sailing	/ˈseɪlɪŋ/ /ˈseɪlɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

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[intransitive, transitive] (of a boat or ship or the people on it) to travel on water using sails or an engine
- + adv./prep. to sail into harbour
- The dinghy sailed smoothly across the lake.
- The ferry sails from Newhaven to Dieppe.
- one of the first people to sail around the world
- The flotilla will sail north to Hawaii.
- sail something to sail the Atlantic
- In his young days he had sailed the seas.
Homophones sail | sale
sail sale

/seɪl/

/seɪl/
- sail verb
  Thor managed to sail his raft across the Pacific Ocean.
- sail noun
  Far out I could see a yacht with a white sail.
- sale noun
  She will receive the profits from the sale of her property.
Extra Examples
- The boat sailed serenely on towards the horizon.
- We sailed on a large ocean liner.
- We were sailing from Dover to Calais.
Topics Transport by watera2, Sports: water sportsa2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- gracefully
- serenely
- smoothly
- …
verb + sail
- know how to
- learn to
- teach somebody to
- …
preposition
- across
- around
- round
- …
See full entry
(also go sailing)
[intransitive, transitive] to control or travel on a boat with a sail, especially as a sport
- We spent the weekend sailing off the south coast.
- Do you go sailing often?
- the first woman to sail solo around the world
- sail something She sails her own yacht.
- He managed to sail the boat between the rocks.
Extra Examples
- I learned to sail as a child.
- We sailed the boat out into the middle of the lake.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- gracefully
- serenely
- smoothly
- …
verb + sail
- know how to
- learn to
- teach somebody to
- …
preposition
- across
- around
- round
- …
See full entry
[intransitive] (of a boat or ship or the people in it) to begin a journey on water
- We sail at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
- sail for something He sailed for the West Indies from Portsmouth.
- The ferry sails for Southampton at 5.30.
Topics Transport by watera2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- gracefully
- serenely
- smoothly
- …
verb + sail
- know how to
- learn to
- teach somebody to
- …
preposition
- across
- around
- round
- …
See full entry
[intransitive] + adv./prep. to move quickly and smoothly in a particular direction; (of people) to move in a confident manner
- clouds sailing across the sky
- The ball sailed over the goalie's head.
- She sailed past, ignoring me completely.
- An owl sailed silently out of the branches.