cruise

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

cruise, n. 

 See Cruse, a small bottle.  [1913 Webster]

cruise, v. i. [D. kruisen to move crosswise or in a zigzag, to cruise, fr. kruis cross, fr. OF. crois, croiz, F. croix, or directly fr. OF. croisier, F. croiser, to cross, cruise, fr. crois a cross. See Cross.].

•  To sail back and forth on the ocean; to sail, as for the protection of commerce, in search of an enemy, for plunder, or for pleasure.  [1913 Webster]

  " A ship cruises in any particular sea or ocean; as, in the Baltic or in the Atlantic. She cruises off any cape; as, off the Lizard; off Ushant. She cruises on a coast; as, on the coast of Africa. A pirate cruises to seize vessels; a yacht cruises for the pleasure of the owner."  [1913 Webster]

  "Ships of war were sent to cruise near the isle of Bute."  [1913 Webster]

  "'Mid sands, and rocks, and storms to cruise for pleasure."  [1913 Webster]
•  To wander hither and thither on land.  [1913 Webster]
•  To inspect forest land for the purpose of estimating the quantity of lumber it will yield.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  To travel primarily for pleasure, or without any fixed purpose, rather than with the main goal of reaching a particular destination.  [PJC]

cruise, v. t. 

•  To cruise over or about.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  To explore with reference to capacity for the production of lumber; as, to cruise a section of land.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

cruise, n. 

•  A voyage made in various directions, as of an armed vessel, for the protection of other vessels, or in search of an enemy; a sailing to and fro, as for exploration or for pleasure.  [1913 Webster]

  "He feigned a compliance with some of his men, who were bent upon going a cruise to Manilla."  [1913 Webster]
•  A voyage aboard a ship, in which the activities on the ship itself form a major objective of the voyage; -- used particularly of vacation voyages, or voyages during which some special activity occurs on board the ship, such as a series of seminars.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

cruise, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. make a journey by sea calling at a series of ports usu. according to a predetermined plan, esp. for pleasure.
2 intr. sail about without a precise destination.
3 intr. a (of a motor vehicle or aircraft) travel at a moderate or economical speed. b (of a vehicle or its driver) travel at random, esp. slowly.
4 intr. achieve an objective, win a race etc., with ease.
5 intr. & tr. sl. walk or drive about (the streets etc.) in search of a sexual (esp. homosexual) partner.
--n. a cruising voyage, esp. as a holiday.

Idiom

cruise missile one able to fly at a low altitude and guide itself by reference to the features of the region it traverses. cruising speed a comfortable and economical speed for a motor vehicle, below its maximum speed.

Etymology

prob. f. Du. kruisen f. kruis CROSS

THESAURUS

cruise

aeroplane, airlift, airplane, balloon, be airborne, boat, campaign, canoe, carry sail, circumnavigate, coast, course, cross, crossing, drift, fare, ferry, flit, fly, glide, globe-trot, go abroad, go by ship, go on safari, go on shipboard, go overseas, go to sea, hit the trail, hop, hover, hydroplane, jaunt, jet, journey, leg, make a journey, make a passage, make a pilgrimage, make a trip, motorboat, navigate, ocean trip, passage, peregrinate, pilgrim, pilgrimage, ply, range the world, row, rubberneck, run, sail, sail round, sail the sea, sailplane, scull, sea trip, seafare, seaplane, shakedown cruise, sight-see, soar, steam, steamboat, take a trip, take a voyage, take the air, take the road, take wing, tour, travel, traverse, trek, volplane, voyage, wayfare, wing, yacht

ROGET THESAURUS

cruise

Navigation

N navigation, aquatics, boating, yachting, ship, oar, paddle, screw, sail, canvas, aileron, natation, swimming, fin, flipper, fish's tail, aerostation, aerostatics, aeronautics, balloonery, balloon, ballooning, aviation, airmanship, flying, flight, volitation, wing, pinion, rocketry, space travel, astronautics, orbital mechanics, orbiting, voyage, sail, cruise, passage, circumnavigation, periplus, headway, sternway, leeway, fairway, mariner, flight, trip, shuttle, run, airlift, sailing, volant, aerostatic, seafaring, nautical, maritime, naval, seagoing, coasting, afloat, navigable, aerial, aeronautic, grallatory, under way, under sail, under canvas, under steam, on the wing, in flight, in orbit, bon voyage, spread the thin oar and catch the driving gale.

VB sail, put to sea, take ship, get under way, set sail, spread sail, spread canvas, gather way, have way on, make sail, carry sail, plow the waves, plow the deep, plow the main, plow the ocean, walk the waters, navigate, warp, luff, scud, boom, kedge, drift, course, cruise, coast, hug the shore, hug the land, circumnavigate, ply the oar, row, paddle, pull, scull, punt, steam, swim, float, buffet the waves, ride the storm, skim, effleurer, dive, wade, fly, be wafted, hover, soar, flutter, jet, orbit, rocket, take wing, take a flight, take off, ascend, blast off, land, alight, wing one's flight, wing one's way, aviate, parachute, jump, glide.