athwartship
|a-thwart-ship|
🇺🇸
/əˈθwɔrtʃɪp/
🇬🇧
/əˈθwɔːtʃɪp/
crosswise across a ship
Etymology
'athwartship' originates from English elements: 'athwart' + the suffix '-ship'. 'Athwart' comes from Old English/Old Norse roots meaning 'across, crosswise', and '-ship' (from Old English '-scipe') meant 'state, condition, manner'.
'athwart' developed from Old English terms such as 'on þweorh' (meaning 'across') and related Germanic roots; in Middle English it appeared as 'athwart', and combined with the suffix '-ship' in later English to form 'athwartship' (used in nautical contexts).
Initially it referred generally to the idea of 'across' or 'crosswise'; over time it specialized in maritime usage to mean specifically 'across a ship' or 'in a crosswise manner with respect to a vessel'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state, position, or direction across the width of a ship (the crosswise orientation).
The athwartship of the hull was checked after the collision.
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Adjective 1
lying or placed across a ship; set crosswise.
They found an athwartship beam that had been dislodged by the waves.
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Adverb 1
across a vessel from side to side; crosswise with respect to the ship.
The cargo was lashed athwartship to prevent shifting during the storm.
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Last updated: 2025/11/11 16:24