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steerageway

noun
steer·​age·​way | \ˈstir-ij-ˌwā \

Definition of steerageway 

: a rate of motion sufficient to make a ship or boat respond to movements of the rudder

Examples of steerageway in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Lake officials are asking boaters to treat all lakes as a no-wake zones and proceed at a speed no greater than what is required to maintain steerageway and headway to avoid flooding nearby homes. — Lauren Ritchie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "About 12 percent of Lake County customers without power," 15 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'steerageway.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of steerageway

1762, in the meaning defined above

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The first known use of steerageway was in 1762

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