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Glite Dictionary
sail foam

sail foam

6.7
White bubbles that appear on the water behind a moving sailboat
  • noun
translation icon : espuma de vela
  • The sail foam glimmered in the morning light as the yacht sped across the bay.

Examples

  • Waves and sail foam trailed behind the boat as it cut through the water.

  • We watched the sail foam form behind the boat.

  • Children watched the sail foam dance on the surface beside their small sailboat.

  • The sail foam danced on the waves.

  • The sail foam shimmered as the sailboat glided smoothly across the lake.

  • As the wind picked up, the sail foam created a frothy trail behind the racing yacht.

  • The team of sailors enjoyed watching the sail foam churn up as they navigated through the waves.

Synonyms

foam
vssail foam
37 1.0

A soft mass of small bubbles on the surface of a liquid

is produced when a boat moves through water, often powered by wind

How Disturbed

spray
48 1.8
sail foam
6.7
wake
41 6.5
ripple
45 2.6

Surface Forms

sail foam singular
sail foams plural

Morphology

sail + foam

The compound is a straightforward noun+noun composition where 'sail' specifies the source or type of 'foam', so the meaning 'foam produced by sailing or associated with a sail' is directly derivable from the constituents. This compositional pattern is common in English (and mirrored in many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely understand the MWE.

Etymology

The phrase sail foam refers to the white, bubbly water a boat makes as it moves. It comes from the picture of a boat 'sailing' and leaving frothy foam behind, so the term means the foam formed by a boat's 'movement'.