yaw

/jɔ/

/jɔ/

Other forms: yawing; yawed; yaws

A yaw is a swerve off course. On a sailboat, an unexpected yaw can make you lurch to one side — and it might also make you seasick.

Both as a noun and a verb, yaw basically means "swerve or twist." It's most common for this word to be used in discussions of a vehicle's movement, especially ships, airplanes, and spacecraft. A pilot might describe a jet that tends to yaw to the right, while a boat captain might warn her crew that an approaching storm will cause the ship to pitch and yaw. Etymologists believe that yaw and yacht share a root.

Definitions of yaw

1. noun

   an erratic deflection from an intended course
   synonyms: swerve

   type of:

   turn, turning

   a movement in a new direction
2. verb

   deviate erratically from a set course
   “the yawing motion of the ship”

   types:

   hunt

   yaw back and forth about a flight path

   type of:

   deviate, divert

   turn aside; turn away from
3. verb

   swerve off course momentarily
   “the ship yawed when the huge waves hit it”

   type of:

   curve, cut, sheer, slew, slue, swerve, trend, veer

   turn sharply; change direction abruptly
4. verb

   be wide open
   synonyms: gape, yawn

   type of:

   be

   have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)