the work of a sailor
"The captain praised the crew's sailing after they navigated through the storm without damage."
the departure of a vessel from a port
"The captain announced that sailing would occur at dawn once all cargo was secured."
the activity of flying a glider
"The pilot enjoyed sailing across the lake in his lightweight glider without using an engine."
Motion across a body of water in a craft powered by the wind, as a sport or otherwise
"The crew spent their weekend sailing along the coast to improve their technique before the competition."
In plain English: Sailing is the act of moving a boat across water using wind power to fill its sails.
"We spent our vacation learning about sailing before we went on our own trip across the ocean."
Usage: Use this noun to describe both recreational trips and competitive sports involving boats propelled by wind. It specifically refers to the activity itself rather than just being on board a vessel.
present participle of sail
"The boat was sailing across the calm ocean when a sudden storm rolled in."
In plain English: Sailing means moving across water by using wind to push your boat forward with sails.
"The sailor was sailing across the calm ocean with ease."
Travelling by ship.
"After months of sailing across the Pacific, the crew finally reached their destination in Japan."
The word sailing comes from the Middle English verb saylinge, which was formed by adding -ing to the root for a boat's wind-catcher. It entered modern usage as the present participle of "to sail," describing the act of traveling across water under power of the wind.