yaw

¹ American  

[yaw] / yɔ /

noun

Pathology.

1. one of the lesions of yaws.

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yaw ² American  

[yaw] / yɔ /

verb (used without object)

1. to deviate temporarily from a straight course, as a ship.

2. (of an aircraft) to have a motion about its vertical axis.

3. (of a rocket or guided missile) to deviate from a stable flight attitude by oscillation of the longitudinal axis in the horizontal plane.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cause to yaw.

noun

1. a movement of deviation from a direct course, as of a ship.

2. a motion of an aircraft about its vertical axis.

3. an angle, to the right or left, determined by the direction of motion of an aircraft or spacecraft and its vertical and longitudinal plane of symmetry.

4. (of a rocket or guided missile)

   1. the act of yawing.

   2. the angular displacement of the longitudinal axis due to yawing.

yaw British  

/ jɔː /

verb

1. (intr) (of an aircraft, missile, etc) to turn about its vertical axis Compare pitch 1 roll

2. (intr) (of a ship, etc) to deviate temporarily from a straight course

3. (tr) to cause (an aircraft, ship, etc) to yaw

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noun

1. the angular movement of an aircraft, missile, etc, about its vertical axis

2. the deviation of a vessel from a straight course

Etymology

Origin of yaw¹

First recorded in 1735–45; back formation from yaws

Origin of yaw¹

First recorded in 1540–50; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

The slanting sides of the work appear as a yawing, rusted ship.

From The Wall Street Journal

In Hover mode, the joystick provides fine-grained yaw control, allowing the BlackFly to execute its surreal pirouette.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The investigation found that, in the prevailing circumstances, the loss of yaw control was irrecoverable," it said in its final report on the crash.

From Reuters

Jackson is particularly proud of the clavicle, which can move forward and back as well as pitch, roll, and yaw.

From The Verge

Eradicating yaws—a painful and disfiguring bacterial disease—may be harder than scientists hoped, a study published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests.

From Science Magazine