Dictionary

strike sail en · VERB

Meanings

1. (archaic) To lower the sails (in preparation for dropping anchor, to salute or signal submission, in sudden gusts of wind, etc.).
   • […] O friend, never strike sail to a fear. Come into port greatly, or sail with God the seas. 1841, Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Heroism”, in Essays, Boston: James Munroe, page 215:
   • It was accounted Treason, if any Ship whatsoëver had not acknowledged the Dominion of the King of England in his own Sea, by striking Sail: 1652, John Selden, Of the Dominion or Ownership of the Sea, London, Book 2, Chapter 26, p. 402:
   • 1627, John Donne, Sermon 24 in Fifty Sermons, London: M.F. et al., Volume 2, 1649, p. 202, […] a ship which hath struck Sail, will yet goe on with the winde it had before, for a while,
   • […] at the last, famine and other necessities, caused them in the ende to strike sayle and let fall anker. 1568, André Thevet, translated by Thomas Hacket, The New Found World, or Antarctike, London: Thomas Hacket, Chapter, page 62:
   • So many new unexpected accidents happen every hour, which no wit of man could foresee; that may make it necessary for us many times to depart from our former most advised resolutions: as the Mariner must strike sail again, (perhaps when he hath but newly hoyst it up,) if the winde and weather change. 1656, Robert Sanderson, “Ad Populum”, in Twenty Sermons Formerly Preached, London: Henry Seile, page 408:
2. (figuratively, obsolete) To acknowledge one's inferiority (to another person); to abate pretension.
   • (obsolete)
   • Let vaunting Knowledge now strike sail, And unto modest Ign’rance vail. 1661, Joseph Glanvill, The Vanity of Dogmatizing, London: Henry Eversden:
   • […] do you think, Sir, that Mr. Ironsides, who has been well bred, a good Scholar, and a topping Wit, will ever strike Sail to a Fool[?] 1713, John Arbuthnot, An Invitation to Peace: or, Toby’s Preliminaries to Nestor Ironsides, London: Mr. Lawrence, page 11:
   • O that the living Harry had the temper Of he, the worst of these three gentlemen! How many nobles then should hold their places That must strike sail to spirits of vile sort! c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:
   • I speak in the house of my friend as in my own, and strike sail to none. 1822, Walter Scott, chapter 1, in The Pirate, volume 3, Edinburgh: Archibald Constable, page 8:

Forms

Antonyms

hoist sail

Synonyms

vail · defer

Translations (1)

fi laskea purjeet (to lower the sails)