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stern
stern1 / stərn/ • adj. (of a person or their manner) serious and unrelenting, esp. in the assertion of authority and exercise of discipline: a smile transformed his stern face Mama looked stern. ∎ (of an act or statement) strict and severe; using extreme measures or terms: stern measures to restrict growth of traffic. ∎ (of competition or opposition) putting someone or something under extreme pressure: the past year has been a stern test of the ability of local industry. PHRASES: be made of sterner stuff have a stronger character and be more able to overcome problems than others: whereas James was deeply wounded by the failure, George was made of sterner stuff. the sterner sex archaic men regarded collectively and in contrast to women.DERIVATIVES: stern·ly adv. stern·ness n. stern2 • n. the rearmost part of a ship or boat: he stood at the stern of the yacht. ∎ humorous a person's bottom: my stern can't take too much sun. DERIVATIVES: sterned / stərnd/ adj. [in comb.] a square-sterned vessel. stern·most / -ˌmōst/ adj. stern·ward / -wərd/ adv. |
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"stern." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "stern." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-stern005.html "stern." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-stern005.html |
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stern
stern2 hinder part of a ship XIII; †steering gear of a ship XIV; tail, buttocks XVI. prob. — ON. stjórn steering, f. base of stýra STEER; but the existence of OFris. stiārne, stiōrne stern, rudder, may indicate that there was a corr. form in OE.
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T. F. HOAD. "stern." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "stern." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-stern1.html T. F. HOAD. "stern." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-stern1.html |
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stern
stern1 severe, rigorous OE.; expressing displeasure or austerity XIV. OE. *stierne (implied in stiernlīce adv.), late WS. styrne :- *sternjaz, prob. f. *ster- *star- be rigid (cf. STARE).
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "stern." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "stern." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-stern.html T. F. HOAD. "stern." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-stern.html |
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stern
stern, the after end of a vessel, generally accepted as that part of the vessel built around the sternpost, from the counter up to the taffrail. For illus.
see shipbuilding. |
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Cite this article
"stern." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "stern." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-stern.html "stern." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-stern.html |
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stern
stern n. the rearmost part of a ship or boat: he stood at the stern of the yacht.
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"stern." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "stern." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-stern.html "stern." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-stern.html |
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stern
stern
•adjourn, astern, Berne, burn, churn, concern, discern, earn, fern, fohn, kern, learn, Lucerne, quern, Sauternes, spurn, stern, Sterne, tern, terne, Traherne, turn, urn, Verne, yearn
•Bayern • Blackburn • heartburn
•Hepburn • Raeburn • Swinburne
•Gisborne, Lisburn
•sideburn • sunburn • Bannockburn
•lady-fern • Vättern • extern
•cittern, gittern
•Comintern • taciturn
•nocturn, nocturne
•U-turn • upturn
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Cite this article
"stern." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "stern." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-stern.html "stern." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-stern.html |
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