Word Study
thwart
CIDE DICTIONARY
thwart, a. [OE. , , a. and adv., Icel. , neut. of athwart, transverse, across; akin to AS. perverse, transverse, cross, D. dwars, OHG. dwerah, twerh, G. zwerch, quer, Dan. & Sw. tver athwart, transverse, Sw. tvär cross, unfriendly, Goth. angry. Cf. Queer.].
- Situated or placed across something else; transverse; oblique. [1913 Webster]"Moved contrary with thwart obliquities." [1913 Webster]
- Fig.: Perverse; crossgrained. Shak. [1913 Webster]
Thwartly; obliquely; transversely; athwart. Milton. [1913 Webster]
thwart, prep.
Across; athwart. Spenser. [1913 Webster]
thwart, n.
A seat in an open boat reaching from one side to the other, or athwart the boat. [1913 Webster]
thwart, v. t.
- To move across or counter to; to cross; as, an arrow thwarts the air. [1913 Webster]"Swift as a shooting star
In autumn thwarts the night." [1913 Webster] - To cross, as a purpose; to oppose; to run counter to; to contravene; hence, to frustrate or defeat. [1913 Webster]"If crooked fortune had not thwarted me." [1913 Webster]"The proposals of the one never thwarted the inclinations of the other." [1913 Webster]
thwart, v. i.
- To move or go in an oblique or crosswise manner. [1913 Webster]
- Hence, to be in opposition; to clash. [1913 Webster]"Any proposition . . . that shall at all thwart with internal oracles." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
thwart, v., n., prep., & adv.
--v.tr. frustrate or foil (a person or purpose etc.).
--n. a rower's seat placed across a boat.
--prep. & adv. archaic across, athwart.
--v.tr. frustrate or foil (a person or purpose etc.).
--n. a rower's seat placed across a boat.
--prep. & adv. archaic across, athwart.
Etymology
ME thwert (adv.) f. ON thvert neut. of thverr transverse = OE thwe(o)rh f. Gmc
THESAURUS
thwart
across, across the grain, annul, athwart, athwartships, baffle, balk, beat, bench, bendwise, bias, biased, biaswise, bilk, blast, block, brace, brave, bring to nothing, buffer, cancel, cancel out, cast down, catercorner, catercornered, challenge, check, checkmate, circumvent, come to nothing, confound, confront, contrariwise, contravene, contrawise, counter, counteract, counterbalance, countermand, counterwork, crisscross, cross, cross-grained, crossing, crossway, crossways, crosswise, curb, dash, defeat, defeat expectation, defy, destroy, diagonal, disappoint, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, dish, disillusion, disrupt, dissatisfy, elude, flummox, foil, foul up, frustrate, gum up, hinder, impede, invalidate, kittycorner, knock the chocks, let down, negate, negativate, negative, neutralize, nonplus, nullify, oblique, obliquely, obstruct, offset, oppose, overthwart, perplex, queer, restrain, ruin, sabotage, scotch, short-circuit, sideways, sidewise, slant, spike, spoil, stonewall, stop, stultify, stump, style, stymie, tantalize, tease, thwartly, thwartways, transversal, transverse, transversely, traverse, undo, upset, vitiate, voidROGET THESAURUS
thwart
Hindrance
VB hinder, impede, filibuster, impedite, embarrass, keep off, stave off, ward off, obviate, avert, antevert, turn aside, draw off, prevent, forefend, nip in the bud, retard, slacken, check, let, counteract, countercheck, preclude, debar, foreclose, estop, inhibit, shackle, restrict, obstruct, stop, stay, bar, bolt, lock, block, block up, choke off, belay, barricade, block the way, bar the way, stop the way, forelay, dam up, put on the brake, scotch the wheel, lock the wheel, put a spoke in the wheel, put a stop to, traverse, contravene, interrupt, intercept, oppose, hedge in, hedge round, cut off, inerclude, interpose, interfere, intermeddle, cramp, hamper, clog, clog the wheels, cumber, encumber, incumber, handicap, choke, saddle with, load with, overload, lay, lumber, trammel, tie one's hands, put to inconvenience, incommode, discommode, discompose, hustle, corner, drive into a corner, run foul of, fall foul of, cross the path of, break in upon, thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil, faze, feaze, feeze, baffle, snub, override, circumvent, defeat, spike guns, spoil, mar, clip the wings of, cripple, put an extinguisher on, damp, dishearten, discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport, lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on, cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine, be in the way of, stand in the way of, act as a drag, hang like a millstone round one's neck.Opposition
VB oppose, counteract, run counter to, withstand, control, hinder, antagonize, oppugn, fly in the face of, go dead against, kick against, fall afoul of, run afoul of, set against, pit against, face, confront, cope with, make a stand, make a dead set against, set oneself against, set one's face against, protest against, vote against, raise one's voice against, disfavor, turn one's back upon, set at naught, slap in the face, slam the door in one's face, be at cross purposes, play at cross purposes, counterwork, countermine, thwart, overthwart, work against, undermine, stem, breast, encounter, stem the tide, breast the tide, stem the current, stem the flood, buffet the waves, beat up against, make head against, grapple with, kick against the pricks, contend, do battle with, do battle against, contradict, contravene, belie, go against, run against, beat against, militate against, come in conflict with, emulate, rival, spoil one's trade.Crossing
N crossing, intersection, interdigitation, decussation, transversion, convolution, level crossing, reticulation, network, inosculation, anastomosis, intertexture, mortise, net, plexus, web, mesh, twill, skein, sleeve, felt, lace, wicker, mat, matting, plait, trellis, wattle, lattice, grating, grille, gridiron, tracery, fretwork, filigree, reticle, tissue, netting, mokes, rivulation, cross, chain, wreath, braid, cat's cradle, knot, entangle, cloth, linen, muslin, cambric, crossing, crossed, matted, v, transverse, cross, cruciform, crucial, retiform, reticular, reticulated, areolar, cancellated, grated, barred, streaked, textile, crossbarred, cruciate, palmiped, secant, web-footed, cross, thwart, athwart, transversely, at grade, crosswise.For further exploring for "thwart" in Webster Dictionary Online
