Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Sail \Sail\, n. [OE. seil, AS. segel, segl; akin to D. zeil,
   OHG. segal, G. & Sw. segel, Icel. segl, Dan. seil. [root]
   153.]
   1. An extent of canvas or other fabric by means of which the
      wind is made serviceable as a power for propelling vessels
      through the water.

            Behoves him now both sail and oar.    --Milton.

   2. Anything resembling a sail, or regarded as a sail.

   3. A wing; a van. [Poetic]

            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.

Sail \Sail\, v. t.
   1. To pass or move upon, as in a ship, by means of sails;
      hence, to move or journey upon (the water) by means of
      steam or other force.

            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.

Sail \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.

   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.

Source : WordNet®

sail
     v 1: traverse or travel by ship on (a body of water); "We sailed
          the Atlantic"; "He sailed the Pacific all alone"
     2: move with sweeping, effortless, gliding motions; "The diva
        swept into the room"; "Shreds of paper sailed through the
        air"; "The searchlights swept across the sky" [syn: {sweep}]
     3: travel in a boat propelled by wind; "I love sailing,
        especially on the open sea"
     4: travel by boat on a boat propelled by wind or by other
        means; "The QE2 will sail to Southampton tomorrow" [syn: {voyage},
         {navigate}]

sail
     n 1: a large piece of fabric (as canvas) by means of which wind
          is used to propel a sailing vessel [syn: {canvas}, {canvass},
           {sheet}]
     2: an ocean trip taken for pleasure [syn: {cruise}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

SAIL
     
        1.  {Stanford Artificial Intelligence
        Laboratory}.
     
        2.  {Stanford Artificial Intelligence Language}.
     
        3.  An early system on the {Larc} computer.
     
        [Listed in CACM 2(5):16, May 1959].
     
        [{Jargon File}]
     
        (2001-06-22)