under sail
1
4.8
- idiom
- Specialized
:
navegando
- Reprieve may be had when under sail, but ships had to make regular landfall to rest, cook, sleep and resupply.
- under sail, a ship
- voyage under sail
He says when that ship is under sail, it has to be on calm seas.
- He says when that ship is under sail, it has to be on calm seas.
Examples
-
"Besides, we'll be under sail in an hour, so the only way back to the harbor is to swim for it."
Fiction book (1992) -
During the race, the crew managed to keep the boat under sail despite the choppy waters.
-
The wind was good, and the ship made scheduled progress under sail.
Fiction book (1994) -
He came too late, the ship was under sail.
-
He says when that ship is under sail, it has to be on calm seas.
-
We did well, hitting a top speed of twenty knots under sail and winning a trophy for finishing in third place.
Academic text (2003) -
By the late 1800s, boats used for tonging included skiffs, bateaux, and large log canoes, all under sail.
Academic text (1996) -
Around 1900, the Maryland oyster fleet included about 1,500 tonging canoes under sail, giving employment to 3,000 men.
Academic text (1996) -
The ship glided gracefully across the water under sail, propelled by the strong winds.
-
Watching the yacht under sail was mesmerizing as it harnessed the power of the wind.
Synonyms
Antonyms
How Much Sail
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'having its sails set and using wind power' is directly derivable from 'under' used in the abstract sense 'in the state of' plus 'sail' (the vessel's sails), so together they denote 'in the state of sailing'. This composition follows regular English patterns (compare 'under way', 'under control') and, despite being somewhat nautical/formal, a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase under sail comes from the image of a boat with its tall sails set and the hull moving under them. So when a boat is under sail it is 'using wind power to move' or simply 'sailing'.