STERN
What does "STERN" mean?
Serious, severe, and strict in manner, appearance, or judgment.
Meanings
- Strict, severe, and unbending in attitude or expression. The judge gave him a stern warning.
- The rear part of a ship or boat. Waves broke over the stern as the trawler turned for home.
Word origin
The 'severe' sense is from Old English 'styrne' (rigid, strict); the 'rear of a ship' sense is from Old Norse 'stjorn' (a steering), linked to the steering oar once mounted at the back.
Remember it
A ship's STERN is at the back - and a stern look turns its back on any nonsense.
A little poem
The stern looks back where all the wake unwinds-
so does the stern face, weighing what it finds.
couplet
Wordplay
- The captain was strict and always stood at the back of the boat. You could say he was stern on both counts.
What it teaches
Look hard at the wake behind you before you decide how harshly to judge the wheel.
Quick facts
What does STERN mean?
Serious, severe, and strict in manner, appearance, or judgment.
Is STERN a valid word?
Yes — STERN is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is STERN?
STERN has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does STERN come from?
The 'severe' sense is from Old English 'styrne' (rigid, strict); the 'rear of a ship' sense is from Old Norse 'stjorn' (a steering), linked to the steering oar once mounted at the back.
What can STERN teach us?
Look hard at the wake behind you before you decide how harshly to judge the wheel.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.