Refers to the fabric structure on a boat or ship that catches the wind. Also used metaphorically in expressions like 帆を上げる (to set sail).
The ship left the harbor with its white sails raised.
The sailors raised the sail before leaving the harbor.
The ship spread its sail and moved forward in the strong wind.
With the wind caught in its sail, the yacht suddenly picked up speed.
As the storm approached, they hurried to lower the sail.
Standard kanji spelling for 'sail'.
The kanji 帆 is a phono-semantic compound: 巾 (cloth) + 凡 (phonetic). The reading ほ is the native Japanese word for sail.
sail with the wind at its back · aback
jib sail; triangular sail
solar sail