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adv

athwart

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Athwart (adv) means lying or moving in a slanting line, from one side to the other.

adv
1
Lying or moving in a slanting line, from one side to the other.
"We placed one log on the ground, and another athwart, forming a crude cross."
"Above, the stars appeared to move slowly athwart."
2
Lying across something's path, so that it blocks the way.
"a fleet standing athwart our course"
3
In a way that goes against what is expected or right.
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Etymology

From Late Middle English athwert, athirt, from a- (prefix meaning ‘in the direction of, toward’) + thwert (“crosswise; (cooking) across the grain”, adverb). Thwert is derived from thwert (“crosswise, transverse; counter, opposing; contrary, obstinate, stubborn”, adjective), borrowed from Old Norse þvert (“across, athwart”), originally the neuter form of þverr (“across, transverse”), from Proto-Germanic *þwerhaz (“cross; adverse”) (altered or influenced by Proto-Germanic *þweraną (“to stir; to swirl; to turn”)), from Proto-Germanic *þerh-, probably from Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- (“to spin; to turn”). The English word is analysable as a- (prefix meaning ‘in the direction of, toward’) + thwart (“placed or situated across something else”). Cognates * Scots athort (“athwart”)

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of athwart?
"athwart" (adv) means lying or moving in a slanting line, from one side to the other.
What is another word for athwart?
Other words for "athwart" include aslant, obliquely, awry.
What are the different meanings of athwart?
"athwart" has 3 main meanings: 1. Lying or moving in a slanting line, from one side to the other; 2. Lying across something's path, so that it blocks the way; 3. In a way that goes against what is expected or right.

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Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · etymology from Wiktionary