noun
stern
The rear part of a ship or boat.
A small flag flies from the stern of the boat.
Etymology
Probably related to Scandinavian steering vocabulary. Steering at a vessel's rear explains the association, but the exact derivation is uncertain.
More examples
- She ties a rope from the stern to the dock.
- Waves splash over the stern as we cross the bay.
- The boats float with their sterns facing the beach.
Forms
stern · sterns
astern adverb — Toward or behind a vessel's rear.