Thwart

Pronunciation

• enPR: thwôrt, IPA: /θwɔː(r)t/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(r)t

Origin

From Old Norse þvert

Online Etymology Dictionary|thwart

‘across’, originally neut. of thverr (transverse, across), cognates include Old English þweorh (transverse, perverse, angry, cross), Danish tvær, Gothic 𐌸𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐍃 (þwaírs, "angry"), Dutch dwars (cross-grained, contrary), German quer, from Proto-Germanic *þwerhaz, altered by influence of Proto-Germanic *þweraną (to turn) from Proto-Germanic *þerh-, from Proto-Indo-European *twork-/*twerk- (twist).

Full definition of thwart

Verb

1. (transitive) To prevent; to halt; to cause to fail; to foil; to frustrate.
   The police thwarted the would-be assassin.
   Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the thunderstorm.
• SouthThe proposals of the one never thwarted the inclinations of the other.
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 22, Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part....Next day she...tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and had perhaps spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary.
• 2006, Edwin Black, Internal Combustion Chapter 2, More than a mere source of Promethean sustenance to thwart the cold and cook one's meat, wood was quite simply mankind's first industrial and manufacturing fuel.
• 2011, December 10, David Ornstein, Arsenal 1-0 Everton, Everton were now firmly on the back foot and it required some sharp work from Johnny Heitinga and Phil Jagielka to thwart Walcott and Thomas Vermaelen.
2. (obsolete) To move across or counter to; to cross.
   An arrow thwarts the air.
• John Milton (1608-1674)Swift as a shooting star
  In autumn thwarts the night.

Synonyms

• frustrate, spoil, impede

Derived terms

• athwart
• athwartships
• thwarter
• thwartsome

Noun

1. (nautical) A brace, perpendicular to the keel, that helps maintain the beam (breadth) of a marine vessel against external water pressure and that may serve to support the rail.A well made doughout canoe rarely needs a thwart.
2. (nautical) A seat across a boat on which a rower may sit.The fisherman sat on the aft thwart to row.

Related terms

• beam

Adjective

1. Situated or placed across something else; transverse; oblique.
• MiltonMoved contrary with thwart obliquities.
2. (figurative) Perverse; crossgrained.

Adverb

1. Obliquely; transversely; athwart.