yaw

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

yaw, v. i. [Cf. Yew, v. i.].

 To rise in blisters, breaking in white froth, as cane juice in the clarifiers in sugar works.  [1913 Webster]

yaw, v. i. & t. [Cf. Prov. G. gagen to rock, gageln to totter, shake, Norw. gaga to bend backward, Icel. gagr bent back, gaga to throw the neck back.].

 To steer wild, or out of the line of her course; to deviate from her course, as when struck by a heavy sea; -- said of a ship.  [1913 Webster]
"Just as he would lay the ship's course, all yawing being out of the question."  [1913 Webster]

yaw, n. 

 A movement of a vessel by which she temporarily alters her course; a deviation from a straight course in steering.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

yaw, v. & n.
--v.intr. (of a ship or aircraft etc.) fail to hold a straight course; fall off; go unsteadily (esp. turning from side to side).
--n. the yawing of a ship etc. from its course.

Etymology

16th c.: orig. unkn.

THESAURUS

yaw

aberrancy, aberration, about ship, back and fill, bank, bear away, bear off, bear to starboard, beat, beat about, bend, bias, box off, branching off, break, bring about, bring round, cant, cant round, cast, cast about, change course, change the heading, circuitousness, come about, corner, crab, crook, curve, declination, deflection, departure, detour, deviance, deviancy, deviation, deviousness, digression, dip, discursion, divagation, divarication, divergence, diversion, dogleg, double, double a point, drift, drift off course, drifting, drive, errantry, excursion, excursus, exorbitation, fall down, feather, fetch about, fetch away, fishtail, flounder, gape, go about, gybe, hairpin, heave, heave round, hobbyhorse, horizontal axis, indirection, jibe, jibe all standing, loop, lurch, make heavy weather, make leeway, miss stays, obliquity, pay off, pererration, pitch, pitch and toss, plow, plunge, ply, porpoise, pound, pull out, pull up, push down, put about, put back, rambling, rear, reel, rock, roll, round a point, sag, scend, sheer, shift, shifting, shifting course, shifting path, sideslip, skew, skid, slant, slew, spin, spiral, straying, stunt, swag, sway, sweep, swerve, swerving, swing, swing round, swing the stern, swinging, tack, throw about, tilt, tilter, toss, toss and tumble, tumble, turn, turn back, turning, twist, undulate, variation, veer, wallow, wandering, warp, wear, wear ship, welter, wind, yaw off, zigzag

ROGET THESAURUS

yaw

Deviation

VB alter one's course, deviate, depart from, turn, trend, bend, curve, swerve, heel, bear off, gybe, wear, intervert, deflect, divert, divert from its course, put on a new scent, shift, shunt, draw aside, crook, warp, stray, straggle, sidle, diverge, tralineate, digress, wander, wind, twist, meander, veer, tack, divagate, sidetrack, turn aside, turn a corner, turn away from, wheel, steer clear of, ramble, rove, drift, go astray, go adrift, yaw, dodge, step aside, ease off, make way for, shy, fly off at a tangent, glance off, wheel about, face about, turn to the right about, face to the right about, waddle, go out of one's way, lose one's way.