cruise

1 of 2

verb

cruised; cruising

intransitive verb

1
: to sail about touching at a series of ports
2
: to move or proceed speedily, smoothly, or effortlessly
I'll cruise over to her house to see if she's home
3
: to travel without destination or purpose
4
a
: to go about the streets at random but on the lookout for possible developments
the cabdriver cruised for an hour before being hailed
b
: to search (as in public places) for a sexual partner
5
a
of an airplane : to fly at the most efficient operating speed
b
of an automobile : to travel at a speed suitable for being maintained for a long distance

transitive verb

1
: to cruise over or about
2
: to inspect (land) with reference to possible lumber yield
3
a
: to search in (a public place) for a sexual partner
b
: to approach and suggest sexual relations to
4
: to explore or search the offerings of
especially : surf
cruise the Internet

cruise

2 of 2

noun

: an act or an instance of cruising
especially : a tour by ship

Examples of cruise in a Sentence

Verb We cruised for a week down the Yangtze River. He dreams of cruising the Mediterranean. The bus was cruising at 55 miles per hour. We were cruising along the highway. The plane was cruising at 30,000 feet. On Friday nights, teenagers cruise the main street in town to show off their cars. A car cruised past us. Noun We went on a weeklong cruise down the Yangtze River. They went on a cruise for their honeymoon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Specific to cruising, the CDC recommends frequent hand washing and hand sanitizing (more often than on shore) and wearing a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated areas. Scott Laird, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2024 Shoemaker cruised through the next four innings, issuing only a third-inning walk and a fourth-inning single. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Though gray whales frequently cruise the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the species vanished from the Atlantic in the 18th century. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 Johnson cruised to victory in a three-way primary in February, taking 86% of the vote to King's 10%. Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 The event raised a record-setting $10.8 million, cruising past the previous high total set in 2022 by more than $1 million. Rance Collins, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 Subaru owners cruise past plenty of vehicles stuck in the snow. James Raia, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 Coyle: This race has been a lock for months, making Randolph all but certain to cruise to her first Academy Award. Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 The aircraft has a cruising speed of just 160 knots and a range of approximately 775 nautical miles. Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Madagascar was the real draw for months of consecutive cruises on the Dawn for Herd. Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2024 McGrady answered various commenter queries, such as where dogs relieve themselves on a cruise. Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024 Authorities were notified and the cause of the accident is being investigated, the cruise line said. CBS News, 23 Mar. 2024 Then, on the annual NKOTB cruise, a second sign posted by Crockett got the attention of Wisconsin doctor Christina Meyer, who donated a kidney to Crockett. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024 But what can travelers do to avoid getting sick on a cruise? Scott Laird, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2024 Trying to celebrate the life of such a singular force of nature, who died from a cardiac event on the Outlaw Country cruise Feb. 7, would seem an impossible task. Holly Gleason, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024 The price of the extended Virgin cruise is a fair bit more as well. Chris Morris, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Reported speed numbers are 31 knots at the top end, with a 26-knot cruise. Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cruise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Dutch kruisen to make a cross, cruise, from Middle Dutch crucen, from crūce cross, from Latin cruc-, crux

First Known Use

Verb

1651, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1696, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cruise was in 1651

Dictionary Entries Near cruise

Cite this Entry

“Cruise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruise. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cruise

verb
ˈkrüz
cruised; cruising
1
: to travel by boat often stopping at a series of ports
2
: to travel for enjoyment
3
: to travel at the best operating speed
the cruising speed of an airplane
cruise noun
Etymology

Verb

from Dutch kruisen "to cruise, move crosswise," from early Dutch crūce "cross," from Latin crux "cross" — related to cross, crucial

More from Merriam-Webster on cruise

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