sail close to the wind
English
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sail close to the wind
- /seɪl ˈkləʊs tə‿ðə ˈwɪnd/ UK
- /seɪl ˈkloʊs tə‿ðə ˈwɪnd/ US
Rhymes with -ɪnd
Where it comes from
Sense 2 (“to behave in a manner on the verge of being dangerous, illegal, or improper”) derives from the fact that to sail an old-fashioned sailing ship close to the direction the wind was blowing from was risky because a small change in the wind direction could fill the sails and push them against the mast, potentially breaking it.
verb sails close to the wind · sailing close to the wind · sailed close to the wind
- To sail in a direction close to that from which the wind is blowing, while still making headway. As the Syrene vvas ſeen to fall to leevvard in the afternoon, the ſignal vvas made to her to ſail as cloſe to the vvind as poſſible.
- To behave in a manner that is on the verge of being dangerous, illegal, or improper. But he received only indifferent remuneration, in those days, and found himself to "sail close to the wind," to meet his current expenses.
Translations
Every language
verb to sail in a direction close to that from which the wind is blowing
| Português | bolinar |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | πιτσυλίζω pitsylízo |
| Русский | идти́ о́стрым ку́рсом idtí óstrym kúrsom |
Talk about this word "sail close to the wind." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sail%20close%20to%20the%20wind. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. sail close to the wind. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sail%20close%20to%20the%20wind "sail close to the wind." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sail%20close%20to%20the%20wind.Cite this
@misc{sail_close_to_the_wind_2026,
title = {sail close to the wind},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sail%20close%20to%20the%20wind},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
