Outsail

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To exceed the pace of an opposing boat while navigating the waters
2. To navigate more swiftly than a rival vessel on the sea
3. To travel by wind power quicker than a competing ship on water

Etymology: "Outsail" is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "out-" plus "sail," so it means to get ahead of another vessel by sailing faster or more skillfully. The prefix does the work here. In English, "out-" attached to a verb typically means to surpass or exceed the action of someone else, as in "outrun," "outwit," or "outlive," and "outsail" follows that same pattern, applied to the sea. The word is a straightforward formation rather than a borrowing or a coinage with a famous backstory. Its interest lies in how ordinary parts combine: "sail" has long described moving a vessel by wind, and "out-" turns that activity into a contest of relative speed. The result is a verb that names a specific racing skill, where one boat's success is measured against the boat it leaves behind.

Synonyms: outpace, outrun