amidshipadv.adj.
/əˈmɪdʃɪp/, U.S. /əˈmɪdˌʃɪp/ A. adv.
1. In the middle of a ship or other waterborne vessel, either longitudinally or laterally; = amidships adv. 1.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > body of vessel > middle of vessel > [adverb]
amidship1644
amidships1692
midships1779
1644 H. Mainwaring Sea-mans Dict. 51 Port the Helme: Star-boord the Helme: A mid-ship, or right the Helme, termes of conding, to direct which way the Steeres-man should put the Helme.
1720 D. Defoe Life Capt. Singleton 303 To board her [sc. a ship]..at her Fore- on one Side, and the other a Mid-ship on the other Side.
1815 Abstr. Papers Philos. Trans. Royal Soc. London (1830) II. 109 A standard compass was placed in the Isabella exactly amidship between the main and mizen mast, on a stout cross-beam, about nine feet above the deck.
1856 Jrnl. Soc. Arts 22 Aug. 664/2 Very few indeed out of the mass of passengers by sea..cast an eye of interest..at the boat which hangs suspended at the davits, or stowed amidship, bottom upwards.
1943 T. W. Lawson Thirty Seconds over Tokyo ii. 24 Some of the boys walked along the flight deck, measuring off the alarmingly short distance between the island—the ship's superstructure rising from starboard amidship—and the bow.
2008 Isle of Thanet Gaz. (Nexis) 12 Sept. 15 [The] cruise vessel..accommodates only a few hundred passengers. Painted white, she has a large single funnel amidship.
2. In extended use: in, to, or towards the middle of another type of vehicle. Cf. amidships adv. 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > central condition or position > [adverb] > near the centre
amidships1832
subcentrally1843
amidship1910
1910 Washington Post 29 June 1/6 A heavy branch of a tree broke through the floor of the cabin amidship, throwing two of the guests to the floor.
1940 Times 31 Oct. 2/2 My aircraft then rammed one of the enemy bombers amidship.
1982 N.Y. Times 2 May (Sports section) 11/6 Ford, too, has a designer model..that..has engine and transmission mounted amidship.
2012 Goshen (Indiana) News (Nexis) 31 Mar. One escape door amidship was jammed in the crash, but the crew was able to escape other openings at each end of the plane.
B. adj.
Situated or occurring in or towards the middle part of a ship or other waterborne vessel; = amidships adj.
ΚΠ
1850 Let. 13 May in Boston Daily Atlas 24 May The sternpost and transom between decks are secured by a knee..which extends 11 feet along the amidship stringer.
1908 Westm. Gaz. 3 June 1/3 The amidship section of the keel can immediately be detached from within.
1989 Sport Fishing Dec. 72/3 I suspect that the amidship location of the helm would make for a somewhat more comfortable ride than on walk-around designs.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2021; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adv.adj.1644