sail — a piece of fabric attached to a boat to catch the wind and move the boat forward
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a piece of fabric attached to a boat to catch the wind and move the boat forward
Pronunciation (IPA): /seɪl/
Example Sentences
- My grandfather can sail a boat, but he still gets seasick when reading the newspaper on deck.
- The exam was so easy that I sailed through it in 30 minutes.
- Pirates used to sail the seven seas looking for treasure, but now they just download movies illegally.
sail
NOUN[/seɪl/]
a piece of fabric attached to a boat to catch the wind and move the boat forward
Fabric catches wind to move boat
The whale tells an ancient tale to the sail!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Sail derives from Old English 'segel', which shares a common Germanic root with related words in other Germanic languages. The term is associated with the cloth used by Vikings and other seafaring peoples to harness wind for navigation.
Breakdown
Old English 'segel' (cloth/sail) → Middle English 'seil' → Modern English 'sail'. The word comes from Proto-Germanic '*seglaz', ultimately related to the concept of fabric or woven material used for catching wind.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandfather can sail a boat, but he still gets seasick when reading the newspaper on deck.”
“The exam was so easy that I sailed through it in 30 minutes.”
“Pirates used to sail the seven seas looking for treasure, but now they just download movies illegally.”
“We plan to sail around the world next year.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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