thwart

thwart
\ \ [13] Thwart was originally an adverb and adjective, meaning ‘across, crosswise’. It was however used as a verb, meaning ‘obstruct’ (from the metaphorical notion of ‘crossing’ someone) as early as the 13th century. It was borrowed from Old Norse thvert, the neuter form of thverr ‘transverse’. This went back to a prehistoric Germanic *thwerkhwaz (possible source also of English queer), which in turn was descended from Indo-European *twork-, *twerk- ‘twist’ (source also of English torch, torment, torture, etc). How the noun thwart ‘seat across a boat’ [18] fits into the picture is not altogether clear. Its modern meaning clearly connects it with thwart ‘across’, but the notion of ‘crosswise’ may have been a secondary development. For an earlier noun thought ‘seat in a boat’ existed, which came ultimately from Old English thofta ‘rower’s bench’, and it could be that thwart the modern English noun represents a blending, both formal and semantic, of thwart ‘across’ with the now obsolete thought.
\ \ Cf.⇒ QUEER, TORCH, TORMENT, TORTURE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • thwart — thwart·ed·ly; thwart·er; thwart·ships; thwart; …   English syllables

  • Thwart — Thwart, a. [OE. [thorn]wart, [thorn]wert, a. and adv., Icel. [thorn]vert, neut. of [thorn]verr athwart, transverse, across; akin to AS. [thorn]weorh perverse, transverse, cross, D. dwars, OHG. dwerah, twerh, G. zwerch, quer, Dan. & Sw. tver… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Thwart — Thwart, v. i. 1. To move or go in an oblique or crosswise manner. [R.] [1913 Webster] 2. Hence, to be in opposition; to clash. [R.] [1913 Webster] Any proposition . . . that shall at all thwart with internal oracles. Locke. [1913 Webster] [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Thwart — Thwart, adv. [See {Thwart}, a.] Thwartly; obliquely; transversely; athwart. [Obs.] Milton. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Thwart — Thwart, prep. Across; athwart. Spenser. [1913 Webster] {Thwart ships}. See {Athwart ships}, under {Athwart}. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Thwart — Thwart, n. (Naut.) A seat in an open boat reaching from one side to the other, or athwart the boat. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Thwart — Thwart, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Thwarted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Thwarting}.] 1. To move across or counter to; to cross; as, an arrow thwarts the air. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Swift as a shooting star In autumn thwarts the night. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • thwart — [θwo:t US θwo:rt] v [T] formal [Date: 1300 1400; Origin: thwart across (13 19 centuries), from Old Norse thvert] to prevent someone from doing what they are trying to do ▪ Fierce opposition thwarted the government s plans. ▪ thwarted ambition …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • thwart´er — thwart «thwrt», verb, noun, adjective, adverb. –v.t. 1. to oppose and defeat; keep from doing something: »The boy s lack of money thwarted his plans for college. SYNONYM(S): baffle, balk, foil. See syn. under frustrate. (Cf. ↑frustrate) 2. to go… …   Useful english dictionary

  • thwart — I verb avert, baffle, balk, bar, blight, bring to naught, check, contravene, counteract, countermine, counterwork, cripple, cross, damp, debar, defeat, foil, forestall, frustrate, hamper, hinder, impede, inhibit, intercept, interfere, interrupt,… …   Law dictionary

  • thwart — foil, *frustrate, baffle, balk, circumvent, outwit Analogous words: *hinder, impede, obstruct, block, bar: defeat, over come, surmount (see CONQUER): check, curb, *restrain: *prevent, forestall, anticipate …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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