1. from side to side; crosswise.
2. Nautical.
- at right angles to the fore-and-aft line; across.
- broadside to the wind because of equal and opposite pressures of wind and tide:
a ship riding athwart.
3. perversely; awry; wrongly.
4. from side to side of; across.
5. Nautical. across the direction or course of.
6. in opposition to; contrary to.
Origin
1425-75; late Middle English; see
a-1,
thwart Examples from the web for athwart
- Here, the current is slowed down by a huge tree-trunk, barely submerged athwart the river bed and used by the children for diving.
- Tension-type hinge zones that strike northeast lie athwart the graben.
- The tanks are located in an athwart ships fashion forward of the engine compartment.
- Forward thrusters tend to be tunnel thrusters, operating athwart ships.
- The night is done and the glimmer of light is spread athwart the political skies.
- athwart the sky were long sweeps of fibrous white clouds presaging rain.
British Dictionary definitions for athwart
adverb 1. transversely; from one side to another
preposition 2. across the path or line of (esp a ship)
3. in opposition to; against
Word Origin and History for athwart