Windsurfs

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To engage in a surface water activity combining elements of surfing and sailing
2. To navigate on a board equipped with a sail that is propelled by the wind
3. To perform a dynamic sport on the water, controlling speed and direction through the wind's force

Etymology: Windsurfing is a compound of "wind" and "surf," and "windsurfs" is simply the third-person singular present form of the verb. "Wind" traces back through Old English "wind" to a Proto-Germanic root, and "surf" entered English from the same surf of breaking waves that riders had long used for body-surfing and board-riding. Put together, the word names a sport in which the rider's sail, not a wave, provides the drive. "Windsurf" combines the force that moves the sail with the surface the rider skims, which is why the verb keeps both ideas in one place.

Synonyms: sailboard