'sail-powered' originates from the combination of 'sail' and 'powered', where 'sail' refers to a piece of fabric used to catch the wind and propel a vessel, and 'powered' means driven or operated by a particular force.

The term 'sail-powered' evolved from the use of sails in ancient maritime navigation, where vessels were primarily driven by wind captured in sails.

Initially, it meant 'driven by sails', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.