yaw
n.n. the movement of an airplane, ship, or vehicle around its vertical axis. It is the act of turning left or right while moving forward.
n. the rotation of an aircraft, ship, or vehicle about its longitudinal axis. In aviation, it refers to the lateral movement of the nose relative to the direction of flight.
The pilot made a sharp yaw to avoid the storm.
During the flight simulation, the instructor demonstrated how a sudden yaw can cause the plane to drift off course.
Aerodynamic stability is often compromised when a pilot initiates a rapid yaw without coordinating the rudder with the ailerons, leading to a potential loss of control.
Unknown, first attested in the mid-16th century. Perhaps related to yar (“quick, agile”), or alternatively from Old Norse jaga (“to chase, drive, move back and forth”), from Middle Low German jagen (“to hunt, chase, pursue”), from Old Saxon jagōn, from Proto-West Germanic jagōn, from Proto-Germanic *jakkōną (“to hunt”).