starboard
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starboard¹
- /ˈstɑːbəd/ UK
- /-ˌbɔːd/ UK
- /ˈstɑɹˌbəɹd/ Canada, US
- /-ˌboɹd/ Canada, US
- /ˈstaːbəd/ Australia
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English sterbord, stere-bourd, stere-burd (“starboard”), from Old English stēorbord (“right side of the ship looking forward, starboard”), from Proto-West Germanic *steurubord, from *stiurijan (“to direct, steer”) (from Proto-Germanic *stiurijaną (“to direct, steer”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH- (“to agitate, stir up; to propel; to urge on”)) + *bord (“board, plank”) (from Proto-Germanic *burdą (“board, plank”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“to pierce; to strike”) or *bʰers- (“point; tip; top”, noun)), referring to early Germanic ships where the rudder or steering oar was set to the right side to accommodate right-handed crew. By surface analysis, steer (verb) + board (“side (of a ship)”, noun).
The adverb, adjective, and verb are derived from the noun.
noun starboards
-
The right-hand side of, originally, a ship or other marine vessel, and now also an aircraft or spacecraft, when one is facing the front, or the bow or fore.
I see another vessel off the starboard side.
Similar: right · Opposite: backboard, larboard, leeboard, left, port
- One of the two traditional watches aboard a ship standing a watch in two.
adverb more starboard · most starboard
- On or towards the right-hand side of a ship or other marine vessel, aircraft, or spacecraft when one is facing the front; right. [T]hey bid vs amaine Engliſh dogs, and came vpon our quarter ſtar-boord: and giuing vs fiue caſt pieces out of her prowe, they ſought to lay vs aboord: but wee ſo galled them with our muſkets, that we put them from our quarter.
adjective more starboard · most starboard
- Of or relating to, or located on, the right-hand side of a ship or other marine vessel, aircraft, or spacecraft when one is facing the front; right. Fellovvs they vvere that had good big pop mouths to crie Port a helme Saint George, and knevv as vvell as the beſt vvhat belongs to haling of bolings yare, and falling on the ſtar-boord buttocke.
verb starboards · starboarding · starboarded
- To turn (the helm of a vessel) towards the starboard or right side, causing the vessel to turn to port or the left. But, yet vve farther paſſe, our ſlender Barke / Muſt heere ſtrike top-ſailes to a Princely Arke / VVhich keepes theſe Straights: He hailes vs threatfully, / Star-boord our helme; Come vnderneath his Lee.
- Originally, to turn the helm of a vessel towards the starboard or right side, causing the vessel to turn to port or the left. VVhoes at Helme? bear vp hard: and hard vp: and thou beeſt a man beare vp; Star-borde, Port-agein: off vvith your Drablers, and your Banners; out vvith your Courſes: Ho— […]
- Now (chiefly), to turn a vessel to starboard or the right side; also, of a vessel: to turn to starboard or the right side. [T]he "Punjab" was fine on her port bow, only about 300 feet away, when she was seen to be starboarding.
starboard²
- /ˈstɑːˌbɔːd/ UK
- /ˈstɑɹˌboɹd/ Canada, US
Where it comes from
From star (“asterisk”, noun) + board (“short for message board”, noun). The earliest known use was in 2013 on Meta Stack Exchange: see the quotation.
noun starboards
- A list which shows messages starred in a community space. The unlimited starring power is an arguably useful feature because it enables management of the starboard with notifications and the like, but I see nothing in the informal job description of a room owner that says they have any more right to spam the room than I do.
- A system that enables such a list. In case you don't know what a starboard is, it's basically a system used on Discord that whenever you react with a star emoji, the message is showcased inside of a #starboard channel.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: right, cathead, port, dexter, rightward, rightmost, righthand, right-hand, green, dextral, starboardside, shipboard, backboard, portside, board, berthside
Translations
Every language
noun right-hand side of a marine vessel, aircraft, or spacecraft when one is facing the front
| Español | estribor |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 우현 uhyeon |
| 日本語 | 右舷 ugen |
| 中文 | 右舷 yòuxián |
| Português | boreste, estibordo |
| Français | tribord |
| Deutsch | Steuerbord |
| Italiano | tribordo, dritta |
| Ελληνικά | δεξιά πλευρά πλοίου dexiá plevrá ploíou |
| Română | tribord |
| Русский | пра́вый борт právyj bort |
Talk about this word "starboard." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/starboard. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. starboard. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/starboard "starboard." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/starboard.Cite this
@misc{starboard_2026,
title = {starboard},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/starboard},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
