Past tense of sail; to have traveled by boat using wind power, or moved smoothly and easily.
From Old English 'seglian', related to 'segel' (sail cloth). The word comes from Proto-Germanic roots meaning 'to cut through' water. The metaphorical sense of moving smoothly developed in the 16th century.
The phrase 'sailed through' meaning to accomplish something easily comes from the effortless way a well-rigged ship glides through calm waters - it's a beautiful metaphor that captures both physical and mental smooth progress!
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