Sail

sail: see sailing.

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sail

1. an area of fabric, usually Terylene or nylon (formerly canvas), with fittings for holding it in any suitable position to catch the wind, used for propelling certain kinds of vessels, esp over water

2. a voyage on such a vessel

3. a vessel with sails or such vessels collectively

4. a ship's sails collectively

5. the conning tower of a submarine

6. in sail having the sail set

7. make sail

a. to run up the sail or to run up more sail

b. to begin a voyage

8. set sail

a. to embark on a voyage by ship

b. to hoist sail

9. under sail

a. with sail hoisted

b. under way
www.sailing.org

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sail [sāl]

(naval architecture)

An article made of canvas and rope designed to be spread on spars in such a manner as to utilize the power of the wind in driving a vessel.

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Sail [sāl]

(astronomy)

Vela

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1.	(body, education)	SAIL - Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
2.	(language)	SAIL - Stanford Artificial Intelligence Language.
3.	(language)	SAIL - An early system on the Larc computer. [Listed in CACM 2(5):16, May 1959].

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Sail 

(of a vessel), a flexible panel or sheet of canvas or some other material, used to convert wind energy into propulsion energy. The wind exerts direct pressure when it blows at right angles to the sail or creates aerodynamic lift when the airflow moves along the sail. Sails are distinguished according to shape as square sails, which may be rectangular or in the form of an equilateral trapezoid, and fore-and-aft sails, which may be three-or four-cornered. Canvas sailcloth, synthetic fabrics, stiff matting, and other materials are used to make sails. Fully battened panels are used for the sails on junks. Each sail has its own name according to its position on the vessel. Sails are also used on iceboats.