yaw

¹yaw

noun \ˈyȯ\

Definition of YAW

1

: the action of yawing; especially : a side to side movement

2

: the extent of the movement in yawing

Examples of YAW

1. Sensors measure the pitch and yaw of the plane.
2. The airplane's rudder is used to control yaw.

Origin of YAW

origin unknown

First Known Use: 1546

Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

Rhymes with YAW

aw, awe, blaw, braw, ca, caw, chaw, claw, craw, daw, draw, flaw, gnaw, haw, jaw, la, law, maw, pa, paw, pshaw, Ra, rah, raw, saw, shah, shaw, slaw, spa, squaw, straw, tau, taw, thaw

²yaw

intransitive verb

Definition of YAW

1

a of a ship : to deviate erratically from a course (as when struck by a heavy sea); especially : to move from side to side

b of an airplane, spacecraft, or projectile : to turn by angular motion about the vertical axis

2

: alternate <restlessly yawing between apparent extremes — Martin Kasindorf>

Examples of YAW

1. <the ship yawed hard to the right when the rogue wave hit it broadside>

First Known Use of YAW

1586

Related to YAW

Synonyms

break, cut, sheer, veer, swerve, zag, zig

Antonyms

straighten

Related Words

skew, slew (also slue); arc, arch, bend, bow, crook, curve, hook, round, sweep, wheel; about-face, pivot; circle, coil, curl, loop, spiral; turn, twist, wind; weave, zigzag; deviate, stray, wander, waver

Other Nautical Terms

avast, aweigh, flotsam, jib, keel, lee, port, starboard, stay

yaw

noun \ˈyȯ\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of YAW

: one of the lesions characteristic of yaws—see mother yaw