Word Of The Day

yaw

yaw • \YAW\  • verb
The verb yaw when used for the action of a ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or projectile means "to move to the left or right especially in an uncontrolled manner." More broadly, yaw is used as a synonym of alternate to mean "to change from one to another repeatedly."

// The rogue wave hit the vessel, and the ship yawed hard to the right.

// The album yaws from soulful ballad to up-tempo pop hit and back again.

See the entry >

Examples:
"The out-of-control motion radiated down to the spacecraft itself, which began yawing and pitching in response to the force." — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Nov. 2025

Did you know?