YAW

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does yaw mean? 

• YAW (noun)
  The noun YAW has 1 sense:

1. an erratic deflection from an intended course

  Familiarity information: YAW used as a noun is very rare.

• YAW (verb)
  The verb YAW has 3 senses:

1. be wide open

2. deviate erratically from a set course

3. swerve off course momentarily

  Familiarity information: YAW used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• YAW (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An erratic deflection from an intended course

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

swerve; yaw

Hypernyms ("yaw" is a kind of...):

turn; turning (a movement in a new direction)

Derivation:

yaw (deviate erratically from a set course)

• YAW (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they yaw    ... he / she / it yaws   
Past simple: yawed   
Past participle: yawed   
-ing form: yawing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be wide open

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

gape; yaw; yawn

Context example:

the deep gaping canyon

Hypernyms (to "yaw" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 2

Meaning:

Deviate erratically from a set course

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

the yawing motion of the ship

Hypernyms (to "yaw" is one way to...):

deviate; divert (turn aside; turn away from)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "yaw"):

hunt (yaw back and forth about a flight path)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

yaw (an erratic deflection from an intended course)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Swerve off course momentarily

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

the ship yawed when the huge waves hit it

Hypernyms (to "yaw" is one way to...):

curve; cut; sheer; slew; slue; swerve; trend; veer (turn sharply; change direction abruptly)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

 Context examples 

At the same moment, she yawed sharply and seemed to change her course.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

The wind was steady, and as we ran before it there was no yawing.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Late yaws is characterized by destructive and deforming lesions of the skin, bones, and joints.

(Late Yaws, NCI Thesaurus)

The researchers found that lovebirds navigate by stabilizing and fixating their gaze on the goal, while yawing their bodies into a crosswind.

(Scientists discover how birds navigate crosswinds, National Science Foundation)

Early yaws includes primary and secondary stages of yaws, endemic tropical treponemal nonvenereal infection: development of initial lesion at inoculation site followed by widespread dissemination of treponemes and generalized secondary granulomatous lesions that may relapse repeatedly.

(Early Yaws, NCI Thesaurus)

She headed nearly due south, yawing, of course, all the time.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Late yaws is the tertiary, non-contagious stage of yaws, endemic tropical treponemal nonvenereal infection.

(Late Yaws, NCI Thesaurus)

Suddenly the schooner in front of me gave a violent yaw, turning, perhaps, through twenty degrees; and almost at the same moment one shout followed another from on board; I could hear feet pounding on the companion ladder and I knew that the two drunkards had at last been interrupted in their quarrel and awakened to a sense of their disaster.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)