starboard
Americannoun
adjective
adverb
verb (used with or without object)
noun
adjective
verb
Etymology
Origin of starboard
before 900; Middle English sterbord (noun), Old English stēorbord, equivalent to stēor steering ( steer 1 ) + bord side ( board )
Explanation
The starboard is the right side of a boat or plane. You can also say that anything on the right side of a ship is starboard. This word has to do with direction, specifically direction on a ship. The word originated with sea vessels whose right side was used for steering. Since the stars helped sailors determine direction, this part of the ship became known as the starboard. You can also use starboard as an adjective for anything on the right side of a ship. If you ever ride on a boat, you could probably impress the captain by talking about equipment on the starboard side.
Vocabulary lists containing starboard
The Cay
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"Rogue Wave," Vocabulary from the short story
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Excerpt from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It said the tanker sustained only "minor damage" on the starboard side and that none of the 20-strong crew were hurt.
From Barron's • Nov. 29, 2025
He ducked back into his cabin but couldn’t find anything, and then he felt the ship roll to starboard and saw water pour through his cabin door.
From Slate • Jul. 22, 2025
Two light cruisers and the USS Utah lay off its starboard bow, and Battleship Row, the famed but vulnerable roadstead for the Navy’s mightiest, was on the other side of Ford Island.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2024
My father was clambering to get us leeward against capsize when my mother took to the starboard bow.
From Salon • May 11, 2024
Flicking his dreadlocks over his shoulder, he strode across the deck, calling orders to the rest of the starboard watch.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
