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.
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 (Zoöl.), 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.
Sail (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sailed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Sailing.]
[AS. segelian, seglian. See Sail, n.] 1. To be impelled or driven
forward by the action of wind upon sails, as a ship on water; to be
impelled on a body of water by the action of steam or other power.