athwartships

English

Alternative forms

• athwartship, thwartships

Etymology

From athwart (“across”) + ship + -s as an adverbial ending.

Adverb

athwartships (not comparable)

1. (nautical) Across the vessel sideways, i.e. in a direction at right angles to the fore-and-aft line of the vessel.

   to place / fix / stow something athwartships; to pace the bridge athwartships

   • 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 107, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, [https://archive.org/details/mobydickorwhale01melv/page/519/mode/1up?q=athwartships 519/mode/1up page 519]:

     At all times except when whales were alongside, this bench was securely lashed athwartships against the rear of the Try-works.

Translations

athwartships

• Dutch: dwarsscheeps (nl)
• German: querschiffs
• Italian: madiere (it)
• Japanese: 船体を横切って (せんたいをよこぎって, sentai wo yokogitte)

References

• FM 55-501 Marine Crewman’s Handbook.