Cruise
KROOZ
/kruːz/
To drive or travel smoothly at a moderate, efficient, and consistent speed.
Implies relaxed, effortless, and unhurried movement without frequent stopping.
The story behind the word. Borrowed into English in the 17th century from Dutch 'kruisen' (to cross or sail across sea lanes). Dutch sailors used it for patrolling back and forth across water. By the 20th century, it expanded to relaxed driving.
Word relationships
- coast: Coast implies moving by momentum without engine power, whereas cruise implies maintaining steady powered speed.
- glide: Glide highlights silent, friction-free movement, while cruise emphasizes sustained, comfortable vehicle speed.
- stall: Stall means coming to a sudden stop or engine failure, opposite to smooth cruising.
Commonly confused with
- commute: Commute is routine functional transit between home and work, whereas cruise implies leisurely or steady open-road driving.
Word family
- cruiser (noun): A vehicle designed for comfortable cruising.
- cruising (noun): The act of traveling at a constant smooth speed.
Collocations
- cruise control
- cruise along
- coastal cruise
- cruise speed
Idioms & expressions
- smooth cruising
- cruise along
Example sentences
- "Once on the open highway, we engaged cruise control and cruised comfortably at sixty miles per hour." Automotive review
- "On warm summer evenings, teenagers would cruise down Main Street past the diner." Narrative essay
Memory hook
CRUISE control lets you take it EASY like a ocean CRUISE ship. Drive steady and smooth.
When not to use
Do not use for aggressive racing, heavy stop-and-go traffic jams, or erratic driving.
Fun facts
- Cruise control was invented in 1948 by Ralph Teetor, a blind mechanical engineer who was frustrated by his lawyer's uneven driving.
Also appears in
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