Idioms for sail
Origin of sail
before 900; (noun) Middle English
sail(e),
seille, Old English
segl; cognate with German
Segel, Old Norse
segl; (v.) Middle English
seillen, saylen, Old English
siglan, seglian; cognate with Dutch
zeilen, Old Norse
sigla
OTHER WORDS FROM sail
sail·a·ble, adjective sail·less, adjective un·sail·a·ble, adjective un·sailed, adjectiveWords nearby sail
British Dictionary definitions for trim one's sails
sail
/ (seɪl) /
noun
verb (mainly intr)
Derived forms of sail
sailable, adjective sailless, adjectiveWord Origin for sail
Old English
segl; related to Old Frisian
seil, Old Norse
segl, German
Segel
Idioms and Phrases with trim one's sails (1 of 2)
trim one's sails
Modify one's stand, adapt to circumstances, as in His advisers told him to trim his sails before he alienated voters and bungled the election completely. This metaphoric expression alludes to adjusting a ship's sails to take full advantage of prevailing winds. [Late 1700s]
Idioms and Phrases with trim one's sails (2 of 2)
sail