stern
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the back part of a ship or boat.
n.the rear or aftermost part of a ship or vessel.
Simple“The name of the boat was painted in bright white letters on the stern.”
In context“As the ferry pulled away from the dock, the passengers gathered at the stern to watch the city skyline recede into the distance.”
UsageCommonly used in nautical contexts as the opposite of the 'bow'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
v.to move a boat backward through the water.
v.to propel or move a vessel backward or stern-first.
Simple“The rowers had to stern the boat carefully to avoid hitting the dock.”
In context“The captain ordered the crew to stern the vessel into the narrow slip, a maneuver requiring precise coordination in the heavy current.”
UsageUsually used as an intransitive verb in rowing or sailing.
Teacher's tipThis is a very specialized nautical term; most learners will only need the adjective or noun senses.
* As a German and Jewish surname, from the noun Stern (“star”). This was also borrowed into various Slavic languages such as Serbo-Crotian and Slovenian. * As an English surname, from the adjective stern.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.