Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense yaws, present participle yawing, past tense, past participle yawed
verb
If an aircraft or a ship yaws, it turns to one side so that it changes the direction in which it is moving.
[technical]
As the plane climbed to 370 feet, it started yawing. [VERB]
He spun the steering-wheel so that we yawed from side to side. [VERB preposition/adverb]
yaw in British English
(jɔː)
verb
1. (intransitive)
(of an aircraft, missile, etc) to turn about its vertical axis
Compare pitch1 (sense 11), roll (sense 13)
2. (intransitive)
(of a ship, etc) to deviate temporarily from a straight course
3. (transitive)
to cause (an aircraft, ship, etc) to yaw
noun
4.
the angular movement of an aircraft, missile, etc, about its vertical axis
5.
the deviation of a vessel from a straight course
Word origin
C16: of unknown origin
yaw in American English
(jɔ)
verb intransitive
1.
to swing back and forth across its course, as a ship pushed by high waves
2.
to swing to the left or right on the vertical axis so that the longitudinal axis forms an angle with the line of flight; esp., to rotate or oscillate about the vertical axis
said of a projectile, aircraft, spacecraft, etc.
verb transitive
3.
to cause to yaw
noun
4.
an act of yawing
5.
the angle formed by a yawing craft
Word origin
ON jaga, to sway, move back and forth < or akin to Du & Ger jagen, to hunt
Examples of 'yaw' in a sentence
yaw
The Megafortress shuddered, then started to yaw hard to his left.
Dale Brown and Jim DeFelice DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND (5) STRIKE ZONE (2004)