/cruise/definition

/cruise/

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation and accent: kruːz. 

-) Etymology: Dutch kruisen (move crosswise or in a zigzag, cruise), from kruis (cross), from Latin crux.

-) Intransitive: 1. To sail to and fro without a set destination, in search of something, for protection, for plunder, for pleasure, etc.

-) Translation: croiser, in French; navegar de una parte a otra sin rumbo determinado, in Spanish; incrociare, in Italian.

… except two sloops, with which they cruised sometimes a great distance off to the north, as far as the Arabian Gulf.

Defoe… A New Voyage… 1725

 We cruised to the southward of the Cape, and made one or two captures; but they were of little consequence.

Marryat… Frank Mildmay 1829

The ship Anne, Captain Gray, was out three years, and during that period she never entered a civilised port. She had touched twice at this bay, and had cruised four months on the coast of Japan, off Timor, through the Sandwich and Friendly Islands…

Earle… New Zealand… 1832

… we found ourselves about the station indicated by Glass, and cruised for three days in that neighbourhood without finding any traces of the islands he had mentioned.

Poe… The Narrative… 1838

He might easily have been taken if they had really desired his capture, for, with his usual recklessness, he boldly put out from the port of Dunbar in a coble, and occasionally in a sixoared boat, and cruised from place to place along the coast at his pleasure…

Agnes Strickland… Queens of Scotland… 1856

After much talk, we decided that the best plan would be that I should despatch a cipher telegram next morning from a French port to tell them to send the four second-rate boats to cruise off the North of Ireland and West of Scotland.

Doyle… Danger! and Other Stories… 1918

-) 2. Hence: -) a. (Of someone) to go at cruising speed while driving an aircraft or an automobile; to go wandering, to travel about at random while driving. Particularly: (of a taxi) to travel at cruising speed and at random (for a fare). -) b. (Of a bird) to fly at cruising speed and at random.

-) With adverb “about”: (redundant construction)

-) 3. Slang: to drive or walk about certain streets or areas, looking for a casual companion for sexual intercourse.

-) Transitive: 1. To sail to and fro over; to cruise over or about.

At last he contrived to purchase and man a galleot, with which he cruised the waters of the Levant, where his intimate acquaintance with all the coasts and islands enabled him to seize and dispose of many prizes. 

Lane-Poole… The Story… 1890

-) 2. Slang: to drive or walk about (certain streets or areas), looking for a casual companion for sexual intercourse; to have such an intercourse with (a person) after driving or walking in that manner.

-) Words derived from the verb CRUISE: cruiser, cruising, cruise (n.)