MEANING
1. The right-hand side of a ship or aircraft when facing forward; also, on or toward that side.
2. To turn or direct a vessel, helm, or rudder toward its starboard side.
Use it for
identifying a boat’s right side; giving vessel-relative directions; avoiding ambiguous left and right instructionsSpecifies a vessel’s own right side independently of an observer’s viewpoint. Writing functions: Vessel orientation.
Words that belong together
- the starboard side
- to starboard
- the starboard bow
On the page
The lighthouse appeared off the starboard bow.
She moved to starboard to give the crew room.
The log states that the helm was starboarded after the warning.
In the training exercise, the rudder was starboarded while the indicator was checked.
Word forms
- Base
- starboard
- Past tense
- starboarded
- Past participle
- starboarded
- Present participle
- starboarding
Usage notes
Usually uncountable side noun; also adjective and adverb. Verb: starboard, starboards, starboarded, starboarding; will starboard. Register: technical. Commonness: moderately common in maritime contexts (dictionary-informed qualitative editorial estimate; not a measured frequency).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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