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Glite Dictionary
🚢 At the back ↩️ To the back
sternward

sternward

8.4
At the back of a ship or boat
  • adjective
  • /ˈstɜrnˌwərd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : a popa
  • The cargo was stored in the sternward hold to balance the vessel.

Examples

  • The captain ordered everyone to move to the sternward section of the deck.

  • A sternward glance revealed the approaching storm clouds behind the ship.

  • The ship was sailing sternward through the storm.

  • He looked sternward to see if anyone was following.

  • The captain instructed the crew to prepare the sails sternward as the storm approached.

  • During the ship's launch, we noticed that the sternward section was already submerged.

  • As the ship sailed sternward, we could see the coast disappearing from view.

Synonyms

aft
vssternward
  • Specialized
51 7.0

Near the back of a ship or the tail of a plane

is the general rear direction for ships and vehicles
astern
vssternward
1 7.9

Toward the rear of a ship or plane

is about position toward the rear without stressing backward motion
rearward
vssternward
1 7.0

Located at or pointing toward the back of something

is specific to rear direction on ships and vehicles
tailward
vssternward
7.3

Toward the back end of an animal or object

is about rear direction on ships and vehicles, not animal tails

Surface Forms

sternward positive

Morphology

sternward = stern (transparent) = stern + ward

The meaning 'toward the stern' follows directly from the noun 'stern' combined with the directional suffix '-ward'.

Etymology

Sternward is built from stern ('the back of a ship') and the ending -ward ('toward'), so as an adjective it describes something at or pointing to the ship's rear.