starboard
starboard Lexical Profile
starboard Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Located on or relating to the right side of a ship, boat, or aircraft when facing forward.
"The captain ordered the crew to lower the lifeboats along the starboard side."
• noun
The right-hand side of a ship, boat, or aircraft as perceived by a person on board facing the bow or front.
"A pod of dolphins surfaced just off the starboard as the ferry crossed the bay."
• adverb
Toward or on the right side of a ship, boat, or aircraft when facing the bow or nose.
"The helmsman steered the sailboat sharply starboard to avoid the shallow reef."
• verb
To turn or steer a vessel or its helm toward the right-hand side.
"The pilot had to starboard the helm immediately to clear the approaching buoy."
Word Nuance & Usage
In nautical and aviation contexts, 'starboard' (right) and 'port' (left) are preferred over 'right' and 'left' because they refer to fixed sides of the vessel regardless of which way a crew member is facing.
• Rhymes for starboard
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'stēorbord', literally meaning 'steering side', combining 'stēor' (rudder or steering paddle) and 'bord' (side of a ship). Before the invention of the central rudder, early Germanic and Norse vessels were steered with a paddle mounted on the right side.