different between fling vs sail

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fl??/
• Rhymes: -??

Etymology 1

From Middle English fling, from the verb (see below). Compare Icelandic flengur (“a fast sprint”).

Noun

fling (plural flings)

1. An act of throwing, often violently.
2. An act of moving the limbs or body with violent movements, especially in a dance.

3. An act or period of unrestrained indulgence.
   • 1838, Douglas William Jerrold, Men of Character

     When I was as young as you, I had my fling. I led a life of pleasure.
4. A short casual sexual relationship.

   Synonym: hookup

5. (figuratively) An attempt, a try (as in "give it a fling").
6. (obsolete) A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe or taunt.
   • c. 1732, Jonathan Swift, Epistle to a Lady

     I, who love to have a fling, / Both at senate house and king.

7. A lively Scottish country dance.

8. (obsolete) A trifling matter; an object of contempt.
   • ante 1800, old proverb

     England were but a fling / Save for the crooked stick and the grey goose wing.

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English flingen, flengen, from Old Norse flengja (“to whip”), from Proto-Germanic *flangijan? (“to beat, whip”), from Proto-Indo-European *pleh?k- (“to beat”). Cognate with Icelandic flengja (“to spank”), Norwegian flengja (“to rip, tear, or fling open”).

Verb

fling (third-person singular simple present flings, present participle flinging, simple past flung or (colloquial or dialectal, nonstandard) flang or (nonstandard) flinged, past participle flung or (nonstandard) flinged)

1. (intransitive, now archaic) To move (oneself) abruptly or violently; to rush or dash.
   • 1748, Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Letter 113:

     I see, sir, said I, I see what a man I am with. […] And away I flung, leaving him seemingly vexed, and in confusion.

   • I flung closer to his breast, / As sword that, after battle, flings to sheath.

2. (transitive) To throw with violence or quick movement; to hurl.
   • I know thy generous temper well. / Fling but the appearance of dishonour on it, / It straight takes fire.
3. (intransitive, archaic) To throw; to wince; to flounce.
   • 1836, Helen Crocket, The Ettrick Shepherd's Last Tale

     The horse flung most potently, making his heels fly aloft in the air.

4. (intransitive, archaic) To utter abusive language; to sneer.

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /se?l/, [se???]
• Rhymes: -e?l
• Homophone: sale

Etymology 1

From Middle English saile, sayle, seil, seyl, from Old English se?l, from Proto-West Germanic *segl, from Proto-Germanic *segl?. Cognate with West Frisian seil, Low German Segel, Dutch zeil, German Segel, Swedish segel.

Noun

sail (countable and uncountable, plural sails)

1. (nautical) A piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged such that it causes the wind to drive the boat along. The sail may be attached to the boat via a combination of mast, spars and ropes.
2. (nautical, uncountable) The concept of a sail or sails, as if a substance.

3. (uncountable) The power harnessed by a sail or sails, or the use of this power for travel or transport.
4. A trip in a boat, especially a sailboat.

5. (dated, plural "sail") A sailing vessel; a vessel of any kind; a craft.

6. (nautical) The conning tower of a submarine.
7. The blade of a windmill.
8. A tower-like structure found on the dorsal (topside) surface of submarines.
9. The floating organ of siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man-of-war.
10. (fishing) A sailfish.

11. (paleontology) an outward projection of the spine, occurring in certain dinosaurs and synapsids
12. Anything resembling a sail, such as a wing.

Hyponyms

• See also Thesaurus:sail

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English sailen, saylen, seilen, seilien, from Old English si?lan (“to sail”), from Proto-West Germanic *siglijan, from *siglijan?. Cognate with West Frisian sile, Low German seilen, Dutch zeilen, German segeln, Swedish segla, Icelandic sigla.

Verb

sail (third-person singular simple present sails, present participle sailing, simple past and past participle sailed)

2. 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 steam or other power.
3. To move through or on the water; to swim, as a fish or a waterfowl.
4. To ride in a boat, especially a sailboat.
5. (intransitive) To set sail; to begin a voyage.

6. To move briskly and gracefully through the air.
   • [flavor text of the card "Spirit of the Winds"] A spirit of the wind that freely sails the skies.
7. (intransitive) To move briskly.

Derived terms

• sail close to the wind

Translations

External links

• Sail on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Sail in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• Alis, Isla, LIAs, LISA, Lias, Lisa, SiAl, ails, lais, lias, sial

Basque

Noun

sail

1. area

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English sail. Doublet of zeil

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /se?l/
• Hyphenation: sail
• Rhymes: -e?l

Noun

sail n (plural sails)

1. (nautical) The fin or sail of a submarine.

   Synonym: toren

Irish

Alternative forms

• sal

Etymology

From Old Irish sal, from Proto-Celtic *sal?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sal?/

Noun

sail f (genitive singular saile)

1. dirt, dross, impurity

2. stain, defilement

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Mutation

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019) , “sal”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• “sal” in Foclóir Gae?ilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1st ed., 1904, by Patrick S. Dinneen, page 589.
• "sail" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• Entries containing “sail” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

Volapük

Noun

sail (nominative plural sails)

1. (nautical) sail

Declension

Derived terms

• sailan
• sailön

Welsh

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin solea (“sole”).

Noun

sail f (plural seiliau, not mutable)

1. base, basis, foundation

   Synonym: sylfaen

Derived terms

• seiliedig (“established; fundamental”)

References

R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present) , “sail”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies