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definitions

stern sheets

plural noun Nautical.
  1. the after part of an open boat, occupied by the person in command or by passengers.

Origin of stern sheets

First recorded in 1475–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for stern sheets

Historical Examples of stern sheets

  • I made a grab at the gunwale, and caught it in the stern-sheets.

    Ned Myers

    James Fenimore Cooper

  • I asked him to crawl aft, out of the water; which he did, lying down in the stern-sheets.

    Ned Myers

    James Fenimore Cooper

  • "Let's take the things out of the stern-sheets, anyhow," urged Tom.

  • Dominic, with his arm round my shoulders, supported me in the stern-sheets.

  • He did so, and the officer dropped into the stern-sheets so as to face his prisoner.

    The Harbor of Doubt

    Frank Williams

British Dictionary definitions for stern sheets

stern sheets

pl n
  1. nautical the part of an open boat near the stern
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012