/seɪl; sel/
n
1 (a) [C] (often in compounds 常用以构成复合词) sheet of canvas spread to catch the wind and drive a ship or boat along 帆
*hoist/lower the sails 扬[下]帆
* the `foresail 前桅帆
* the `mainsail 主帆.
(b) [U] sails; propulsion by means of sails 帆（总称）; （扬帆）航行
*put on more sail 多扯起些帆
* take in sail 收回些帆
* the age of sail, ie when ships all used sails 帆船时代.
2 [sing]
(a) voyage or excursion on water for pleasure 航行游览
*go for a sail 乘船游玩.
(b) voyage of a specified length 航程
*a three-day sail to get to Brest 到布雷斯特的三天航程
* How many days' sail is it from Hull to Oslo? 从赫尔到奥斯陆有几天的航程?
3 [C] (pl unchanged 复数不变) (nautical 海) ship 船
*a fleet of twenty sail 有二十艘船的船队
* There wasn't a sail in sight. 一条船也看不见.
4 [C] set of slats attached to the arm of a windmill to catch the wind 风车的翼板. =>illus at windmill 见windmill插图.
5 (idm 习语) crowdon sail =>crowd2. in full sail => full. set sail (from/to/for...) begin a voyage 起航
*We set sail (for France) at high tide. 我们在涨潮时起航（去法国）. take the wind out of sb's sails => wind1. under `sail (moving) with sails spread 扬着帆（行进）
*The yacht wasn't under sail because the wind wasn't strong enough. 风不够大, 赛艇未能扬起风帆.

/seɪl; sel/
v
1 (a) [Ipr, Ip] travel on water in a ship, yacht, etc using sails or engine power; move forward on ice, a sandy beach, etc in a wheeled vehicle with sails （乘船或机帆船、游艇等）作水上旅行; （坐带帆的轮式运载工具）在冰上或沙滩上滑行
*sail up/along the coast 向[沿]海岸航行
* sail into the harbour 驶入海港
* an oil tanker sailing by 驶过的油轮.
(b) [I] (usu 通常作 go sailing) travel on water in a boat with sails, esp as a sport 乘帆船航行; （尤指）帆船运动. =>Usage at travel 用法见travel.
2 [I, Ipr] ~ (from...) (for/to...) (of a ship or the crew and passengers) begin a voyage （指船或船员和乘客）起航
*When does the ship sail? 这船何时起航?
* He has sailed (from Southampton) for New York. 他已乘船（从南安普顿）去纽约了.
3 [Tn] travel by ship across or on (a sea, an ocean, etc) 乘船在（海洋等）上或越过（海洋等）旅行
*sail the Aegean in a cruiser 乘游艇在爱琴海上旅游.
4 [I, Tn, Tn.pr, Tn.p] (be able to) control (a ship or boat) （能）驾驶（船）
*Do you sail? 你会驾驶船吗?
* She sails her own yacht. 她驾驶自己的游艇.
* He sailed the boat between the islands. 他驾驶着船在两岛之间航行.
5 (idm 习语) run/sail before the wind => wind 1. sail close/near to the `wind behave in a way that is dangerous or nearly illegal 干危险或近乎违法的事
*He never actually tells lies, but he often sails pretty close to the wind. 他实际上从不撒谎, 但说的话常迹近撒谎.
6 (phr v) sail across, into, past, etc sb/sth move in a smooth or very confident way in the direction specified 顺利地或极有信心地沿某方向行进
*clouds sailing across the sky 轻快地飘过天空的云彩
* The manager sailed into the room. 经理神态自若地走进房间.
* She sailed past (me), ignoring me completely. 她从我身旁翩然走过, 全然不理会我. sail in enter an argument or dispute energetically 参与激烈争论或辩论
*Ann then sailed in with a furious attack on the chairman. 安随後严词抨击董事长. sail into sb attack sb in words 抨击某人
*He sailed into the witness, accusing him of lying. 他指责证人撒谎. sail through (sth) come through (an examination, a test, etc) without difficulty 顺利通过（考试、测验等）
*She sailed through her finals. 她顺利通过期末考试.