A sea or lake voyage, especially one taken for pleasure.
"We booked a sunset cruise on Lake Michigan to watch the fireworks from the water."
In plain English: A cruise is a vacation trip where you stay on a large ship and visit different places while eating and playing onboard.
"We enjoyed a relaxing cruise across the calm ocean waters."
Usage: Use "cruise" as a noun to describe a leisurely journey on water or an extended vacation trip that includes multiple destinations. Avoid confusing it with the verb form when you simply need to refer to the trip itself rather than the act of traveling.
drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure
"She cruised the neighborhood in her new convertible"
travel at a moderate speed
"Please keep your seat belt fastened while the plane is reaching cruising altitude"
sail or travel about for pleasure, relaxation, or sightseeing
"We were cruising in the Caribbean"
To sail about, especially for pleasure.
"The family spent their summer vacation sailing around the harbor in a small yacht just to enjoy the view and fresh air."
In plain English: To cruise means to move along at a steady, relaxed speed without rushing.
"We decided to cruise along the coast in our small boat for the afternoon."
Usage: Use "cruise" to describe driving or traveling at a steady speed along a familiar route, often without a specific destination. It applies to cars moving smoothly on highways or boats sailing for leisure, rather than navigating through rough conditions.
A surname, from Anglo-Norman.
"The genealogy book revealed that my great-grandfather's name was actually Cruise, a common Anglo-Norman surname."
The word cruise entered English from the Dutch kruisen, which originally meant to cross or sail around in a circular path. This term traces its roots back through Middle Dutch and Latin to the concept of a cross.