Pronunciation: /stɜːrnweɪ/
noun the backward motion of a ship
A1 The boat began to move backwards, known as sternway.
A2 The captain quickly ordered the engines to go into sternway to avoid a collision.
B1 The ship's sternway allowed it to maneuver in tight spaces.
B2 The skilled sailor expertly controlled the ship's sternway to dock it smoothly.
C1 The captain used the ship's sternway to navigate through the narrow channel.
C2 The precise management of sternway by the experienced crew prevented a potential disaster.
adverb in a backward direction
A1 The boat moved sternway as it backed away from the dock.
A2 The captain had to navigate sternway through the narrow channel.
B1 The ship slowly gained sternway as it reversed course.
B2 The yacht expertly maneuvered sternway to avoid a collision.
C1 The submarine quickly went into sternway to avoid hitting the underwater obstacle.
C2 The skilled pilot smoothly controlled the aircraft's sternway descent.
formal The ship began to move astern, gaining sternway as it reversed away from the dock.
informal The boat picked up sternway as it backed up in the water.
slang The captain gunned the engines in reverse and got some serious sternway going.
figurative His career seemed to be in sternway as he made progress in his new job.
sternwayed
sternways
more sternway
most sternway
sternways
will sternway
have sternwayed
is sternwaying
sternway
sternway
to sternway
sternwaying
sternwayed