Definition of careen
transitive verb
1 : to put (a ship or boat) on a beach especially in order to clean, caulk, or repair the hull
2 : to cause to heel over High waves careened the boat.
intransitive verb
1a : to clean, caulk, or repair the hull of a boatb : to undergo this process
2 : to heel over
3 : to sway from side to side : lurch a careening carriage being pulled wildly … by a team of runaway horses — J. P. Getty
4 : career The car careened down the hill.
From the M-W Editors
Examples of careen in a Sentence
the sled careened as it barreled down the hill
he careened unsteadily to the couch after hitting his head
Origin and Etymology of careen
from carine side of a ship, from Medieval French, submerged part of a hull, from Latin carina hull, half of a nutshell; perhaps akin to Greek karyon nut
First Known Use of careen
1712
CAREEN Defined for English Language Learners
careen
playDefinition of careen for English Language Learners
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: to go forward quickly without control
CAREEN Defined for Kids
careen
playDefinition of careen for Students
careened
;careening
: to go at high speed without control
Learn More about careen
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See words that rhyme with careen Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for careen Spanish Central: Translation of careen Nglish: Translation of careen for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about careen
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