Behoves him now both sail and oar. --Milton.
2. Anything resembling a sail, or regarded as a sail.
Like an eagle soaring To weather his broad sails.
--Spenser.
4. The extended surface of the arm of a windmill.
5. A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.
Note: In this sense, the plural has usually the same form as
the singular; as, twenty sail were in sight.
6. A passage by a sailing vessel; a journey or excursion upon
the water.
Note: Sails are of two general kinds, {fore-and-aft sails},
and {square sails}. Square sails are always bent to
yards, with their foot lying across the line of the
vessel. Fore-and-aft sails are set upon stays or gaffs
with their foot in line with the keel. A fore-and-aft
sail is triangular, or quadrilateral with the after
leech longer than the fore leech. Square sails are
quadrilateral, but not necessarily square. See Phrases
under {Fore}, a., and {Square}, a.; also, {Bark},
{Brig}, {Schooner}, {Ship}, {Stay}.
{Sail burton} (Naut.), a purchase for hoisting sails aloft
for bending.
{Sail fluke} (Zo["o]l.), the whiff.
{Sail hook}, a small hook used in making sails, to hold the
seams square.
{Sail loft}, a loft or room where sails are cut out and made.
{Sail room} (Naut.), a room in a vessel where sails are
stowed when not in use.
{Sail yard} (Naut.), the yard or spar on which a sail is
extended.
{Shoulder-of-mutton sail} (Naut.), a triangular sail of
peculiar form. It is chiefly used to set on a boat's mast.
{To crowd sail}. (Naut.) See under {Crowd}.
{To loose sails} (Naut.), to unfurl or spread sails.
{To make sail} (Naut.), to extend an additional quantity of
sail.
{To set a sail} (Naut.), to extend or spread a sail to the
wind.
{To set sail} (Naut.), to unfurl or spread the sails; hence,
to begin a voyage.
{To shorten sail} (Naut.), to reduce the extent of sail, or
take in a part.
{To strike sail} (Naut.), to lower the sails suddenly, as in
saluting, or in sudden gusts of wind; hence, to
acknowledge inferiority; to abate pretension.
{Under sail}, having the sails spread.
A thousand ships were manned to sail the sea.
--Dryden.
2. To fly through; to glide or move smoothly through.
Sublime she sails The a["e]rial space, and mounts
the wing[`e]d gales. --Pope.
3. To direct or manage the motion of, as a vessel; as, to
sail one's own ship. --Totten.
2. To move through or on the water; to swim, as a fish or a
water fowl.
3. To be conveyed in a vessel on water; to pass by water; as,
they sailed from London to Canton.
4. To set sail; to begin a voyage.
5. To move smoothly through the air; to glide through the air
without apparent exertion, as a bird.
As is a winged messenger of heaven, . . . When he
bestrides the lazy pacing clouds, And sails upon the
bosom of the air. --Shak.