DictionaryRoot: cariner
French

cariner

expose a ship's keel

1 / 1
A cyclist hurtles downhill, bicycle leaning sharply and front wheel veering sideways as she struggles to keep her balance.
verb

careen

kuh-REEN/kəˈriːn/

Move wildly, swerving or lurching from side to side.

Etymology

Exposing a ship's keel required turning it on its side, leading to the sense of tilting or lurching. Confusion with career, meaning “move rapidly,” helped produce the sense of fast, unsteady movement.

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