▪ I. starboard, n. (and a.) Naut.
(ˈstɑːbɔəd, -bəd)
Forms: 1 stéorbord, 4 stere-b(o)urde, 5 sterbord(e, 6 steereboord, -board, steirburd (Sc.), starbourd, (7 stereboard), 6–7 starboord, starrebord(e, 7 starr-boord, -board, starbord, (stanbur), 7– starboard.
[OE. stéorbord, f. stéor steering paddle, rudder, steer n. + bord board n. Equivalent compounds (some of which do not strictly correspond in form) are MDu. stierbord, stuyrbord (Du. stuurboord), MHG. stiurbort (mod.G. steuerbord), OIcel., mod.Icel. stjórnborði (now pronounced stjórborði), Sw., Da. styrbord. The Rom. langs. have adopted the word from one or other of the Teut. langs.: OF. estribord (mod.F. tribord), Sp. estribor(d, Pg. estribordo, usually estibordo, It. stribordo.
The etymological sense of the word refers to the mode of steering the early Teutonic ships, by means of a paddle worked over the right side of the vessel. The left or larboard side, to which the steersman turned his back, was in several Teut. langs. called ‘back-board’, whence F. bâbord: see baburd.]
A. n. a. The right-hand side of a ship, as distinguished from the larboard or port side; the side upon which in early types of ships the steering apparatus was worked. (See larboard note.) Also used with reference to aircraft. Often in the phrases † a starboard, on starboard, upon starboard, to starboard.
| c 893 ælfred Oros. i. i. §14 Let him ealne weᵹ þæt weste land on ðæt steorbord, & þa widsæ on ðæt bæcbord þrie daᵹas. Ibid., Ac him wæs ealne weᵹ weste land on þæt steorbord..& him wæs a widsæ on ðæt bæcbord. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 745 Frekes..Standez appone stere-bourde. Ibid. 3665 So stowttly the forsterne one the stam hyttis, That stokkes of the stere-burde strykkys in peces! 1495, 1591, 1598, 1698 [see larboard]. 1568 Satir. Poems Reform. xlvi. 6 Se that hir hatchis be handlit richt, W{supt} steirburd, baburd, luf and lie. 1622 R. Hawkins Voy. S. Sea (1847) 83 He commaunded him at the helme, to put it close a starbourd. 1633 T. Stafford Pac. Hib. iii. viii. 312 He..ordered it so, that with two takles hee might steere the Hoy either to Starboard, or to Port. 1687 A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. i. 16 When we were got out to Sea, we bore away to the starboard. 1762 Falconer Shipwr. ii. 819 Brace fore and aft to starboard every yard. 1833 Tennyson Lotos-Eaters viii. 7 We, Roll'd to starboard, roll'd to larboard, when the surge was seething free. 1874 Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. iii. 48 If to your starboard red appear, It is your duty to keep clear. 1891 Farrar Darkn. & Dawn xxxv, Those who had not been warned..rushed to the starboard. 1909 F. T. Jane All World's Air-Ships 142 Motor-3-cylinder 10–12 h.p. Buchet, mounted directly on the lower plane, a little to starboard of centre line. 1977 J. Cleary High Road to China ii. 65 The Bristol slid to starboard, kept sliding and I let it go, feeling I was getting it under control. |
b. as adv. To or on the starboard side.
| 1634–5 Brereton Trav. (Chetham Soc.) 169 Starboard, that is to the right hand. 1644 H. Manwayring Seamans Dict. 28 Then he who conds uses these termes to him at the helme, starr-boord, larboord, the helme a mid-ships. 1647, 1663 [see larboard b]. 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. i. ii. 20 Give fire Starboard. 1883 Burton & Cameron Gold Coast I. i. 4 Starboard rose black Ithaca, fronting the black mountain of Cephalonia. |
B. attrib. passing into adj. Of, belonging to or situated on the right side of a boat, vessel, or aircraft.
| 1495 Naval Acc. Hen. VII (1896) 192 Sterborde Bowers—j, Latheborde Bowers—j. 1538 Admiralty Crt. Exam. 28 May 2 The Thomas with the loreborde buttock touched the fore parte of the shippe..at a place callyd the starrebord luffe. 1540 Sel. Pleas Crt. Admiralty (Selden Soc.) I. 91 The said shippe..dydd hange..soo violentle upon starreborde sydd of the said shippe..that the cable..dydd breake. 1594 Nashe Terrors Nt. Wks. (Grosart) III. 270 Fellowes..that..knew..what belongs to haling of bolings yare, and falling on the star-boord buttocke. 1626 P. Nichols Drake Revived (1628) 21 One [pinnace] on the starboord bough, the other on the starboord quarter..forthwith boarded her. 1627 Capt. Smith Sea Gram. ix. 42 Hale off your star⁓boord sheats. 1635 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Banish'd Virgin 156 Causing him to be at the self-same time boarded on both the Starbur and Larbur-sides. 1644 H. Manwayring Seamans Dict. 114 The ships company is divided into two parts, the one called the Star-boord-watch, the other the Lar-boord-watch. 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. i. ii. 20 Give him our Starboard Broad-side. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. 452 The fury of the Wind..took the Ship on the Starboard bow with such violence, that it snapt off the Boltsprit. 1747 Gentl. Mag. VII. 247/1 We..began to form the line on the starboard tack. 1798 in Nicolas Disp. Nelson (1846) VII. p. cliv, We wore gradually round..till we brought the wind on the starboard beam. 1833 Marryat P. Simple iii, He flogged the whole starboard watch. Ibid. xii, ‘Sail on the starboard-bow!’ cried the look-out man. 1874 Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. i. 18 The Starboard Columns of a formation [of ships] are the alternate Columns, commencing from the right. 1877 Black Green Past. xxvii, Who gave us that piece of advice about choosing a starboard berth. 1917 [see port n.6 (a.) 2 a]. 1948 ‘N. Shute’ No Highway iii. 61 The second pilot..came down into the cabin... Then he said: ‘Which is the boffin?’..‘Sitting on the starboard side, near the front.’ 1976 B. Lecomber Dead Weight iii. 45 The tailwheel lock had broken... The starboard prop had run away. |
▪ II. starboard, v. Naut.
(ˈstɑːbɔəd, -bəd)
[f. starboard n.]
trans. To put over or turn (the helm) to the starboard side of the ship. Chiefly in the command Starboard (the helm)!
| 1598 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. i. iii. Furies 43 He hails us threatfully, Star-boord our helm. 1627 Capt. Smith Sea Gram. ix. 37 Starboord the Helme, is to put the Helme a Starboord, then the ship will goe to the Larboord. 1759 Ann. Reg., Chron. 121/1 We then immediately star⁓boarded our helm, and ran right down upon her. 1888 Times 23 Aug. 8/6 A red light is always a signal not to starboard the helm. |
| ellipt. 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. i. ii. 19 Starboard, the Chase pays away more room, Starboard hard;..Stereboard hard. 1673 Hickeringill Gregory 141 Look to your Ship then, hard at Helm, Starboard, or else we overwhelm. 1762 Falconer Shipwr. iii. 69 ‘Starboard again!’ the watchful pilot cries. 1884 Capt. Pollard in Western Morn. News 2 Aug. 8/1 The course which the Valiant was steering before starboarding was south-west. |
Hence ˈstarboarding vbl. n.
| 1902 Daily Chron. 18 June 10/1 The starboarding of the Cambridge in the circumstances of the case was wrong. |