English Reference
noun · adjective

sailing

n. · adj.
US /ˈseɪɫɪŋ/ UK /sˈeɪlɪŋ/ sail·ing UK spelling sailings

  1. 01 A2 Elementary Sport

    n.the sport or hobby of moving across water in a boat that uses the wind.

    n.the activity or sport of navigating a vessel powered by wind acting on sails.

    Simple

    We went sailing on the lake every weekend during the summer.

    In context

    The coastal town attracts thousands of tourists each year who are interested in competitive sailing and maritime history.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    n.a planned journey by a ship or ferry at a specific time.

    n.a scheduled departure or voyage of a commercial vessel, such as a ferry or cruise ship.

    Simple

    The next sailing to the island is at two o'clock this afternoon.

    In context

    Due to the approaching storm, the ferry company decided to cancel all evening sailings until further notice.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Technical

    n.the skill and knowledge needed to control a boat.

    n.the art or science of navigating and managing a vessel at sea.

    Simple

    He spent years studying sailing before he attempted to cross the ocean alone.

    In context

    Mastering the intricacies of traditional sailing requires a deep understanding of both meteorological patterns and celestial navigation.

    navigationseamanship
  4. 04 B1 Intermediate

    adj.describing a boat or ship that uses sails to move.

    adj.relating to or powered by sails; often used to distinguish wind-powered vessels from motorised ones.

    Simple

    The harbour was full of beautiful sailing ships from all over the world.

    In context

    The museum features a restored sailing vessel that was used for merchant trade in the late nineteenth century.

    wind powered

Etymology 1

From Middle English saylinge, seilinge, variants of sailende, seilende; equivalent to sail + -ing. Cognate with Dutch zeilend (“sailing”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English seyling, sayling, from Old English seġling, seġlung (“sailing”), from Proto-West Germanic siglingu, seglungu, from Proto-Germanic *siglingō (“sailing”); equivalent to sail + -ing. Cognate with Middle Low German sēgelinge (“sailing”), Swedish segling (“sailing”), Icelandic sigling (“sailing”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English saylinge
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Frequent
Updated