starboard

CEFRB2

/ˈstɑː.bəd/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    The right side of a ship when facing forward.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    One of the two traditional watches aboard a ship standing a watch in two.

Examples

  • I always confuse which side is port and which starboard.

  • Look, there's a whale breaching off the starboard bow!

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • /ˈstaː.bəd/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. To put to the right, or starboard, side of a vessel.

  2. The righthand side of a ship, boat or aircraft when facing the front, or fore or bow. Used to unambiguously refer to directions according to the sides of the vessel, rather than those of a crew member or object.

  3. A list that shows messages starred in a community space.

More examples

In context

  • I see another vessel off the starboard side.

  • We're on starboard tack, so the other boat has to give way.

  • to starboard the helm

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

When looking toward the front of a ship, the blank rail is on your right.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English sterbord, stere-bourd, stere-burd, from Old English stēorbord, from Proto-West Germanic *steurubord, equivalent to steer + board (“side (of a ship)”), referring to ancient ships with the steering oar set to the right (to accommodate right-handed crew). Ships had to dock on their left (port) side because the steering oar on the right would get in the way, which is how the left became known as the port side.