Dictionary of Nautical Terms (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition:.athwartThe transverse direction; anything extending or across the lineof a ship's course.-Athwart hawse, a vessel, boat, or floating lumberaccidentally drifted across the stem of a ship, the transverse positionof the drift being understood.-Athwart the fore-foot, just before thestem; ships fire a shot in this direction to arrest a stranger, and makeher bring-to.-Athwart ships, in the direction of the beam; from sideto side: in opposition to fore-and-aft.
Definition of athwart preposition in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Define athwart. Definition of Athwart: 'Athwart' is a word that can be used either as a preposition or an adverb. It is an old word that first came to be used in the English language during the.