adv. and prep. Also 6 athirt, 7 athawart, atwart. Sc. 6 athourt, -rcht, 6–9 athort. [f. A prep.1 + THWART; the latter was in earlier use as an adv.; a-thwart was formed like about, across, and other adverbs in a-; there was also an early OVERTHWART.]
A. adv.
1. Across from side to side, transversely; usually, but not necessarily, in an oblique direction.
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 294. Yron beames that come athwart or acrosse from one side to the other.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 333. The Asse having … a crosse made by a black list down his back, and another athwart, or at right angles down his shoulders.
1702. W. J., trans. Bruyn’s Voy. Levant, xxxvi. 140. All these stones are laid a-thwart over the breadth of the chamber.
1879. Tennyson, Lover’s T., 10. The cloud … sweeps athwart in storms.
b. Naut. From side to side of a ship.
1762–9. Falconer, Shipwr., II. 174. The fore-sail right athwart they brace.
1858. in Merc. Mar. Mag., V. 317. A … framework, extending fore and aft and athwart.
† 2. Across in various directions, about. (Northern: still in Scotch.)
c. 1500. Partenay, 169. Thorught the wodes went, athirt trauersing.
a. 1662. Baillie, Lett. (1775), I. 83 (Jam.). There goes a speech athort … dissuading the king from war with us.
3. Across the course (of anything), so as to thwart or oppose progress.
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits, x. (1596), 145. If nature … haue no impediment cast athwart to stop her.
1790. Cowper, Iliad, III. 91. And with his spear Advanced athwart push’d back the Trojan van.
4. fig. In opposition to the proper or expected course; crosswise, perversely, awry.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., I. i. 36. All athwart there came A Post from Wales, loaden with heauy Newes. Ibid. (1603), Meas. for M., I. iii. 30. And quite athwart Goes all decorum.
1876. Morris, Sigurd, III. 213. Turned the steadfast athwart.
5. In the form of a cross, crosswise. ? Obs. rare.
1607. Schol. Disc. agst. Antichr., I. iii. 154. They clappe their armes athwarte, to expresse a crosse.
B. prep. [the adv. with object expressed.]
1. From side to side of, transversely over, across: a. of motion.
1470. Henry, Wallace, in Masson, 3 Cent. Eng. Poet., 114. A locklat bar was drawn athwart the door.
1513–75. Diurn. Occurr. (1833), 323. The fisches wes blawin athort the gait.
1623. Lisle, Ælfric on O. & N. Test., 10. Moses then led them … athwart the red sea.
1712. Pope, Rape Lock, II. 82. The stars that shoot athwart the night.
1846. Keble, Lyra Innoc. (1873), 124. Athwart the field, the rooks fly home.
b. of position or direction.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., IV. iii. 135. Nor neuer lay his wreathed arms athwart His louing bosome.
1615. Heywood, Four Prent., I. Wks. 1874, II. 240. Skarfe-like these athwart my breasts I’le weare.
1830. Tennyson, Mariana, ii. She … glanced athwart the glooming flats.
† 2. Across in various directions, to and fro over, all over. (Only in north. dial.; still in every day use in Scotland as athort.)
1548. Compl. Scot., vi. 38. The borial blastis … hed chaissit the fragrant flureise … far athourt the feildis.
a. 1662. Baillie, Lett. (1775), I. 32 (Jam.). Posts went forth athort the whole country.
[Mod. Sc. Lazy loons stravaguing athort the kintrae.]
3. Naut. Across or transversely to the course or direction of. † Athwart the fore foot: (a cannonball fired) across in front of a ship’s bows, as a signal for her to bring to. To run athwart: to run into sidewise; cf. A 1 b.
1693. Luttrell, Brief Rel., III. 70. A French privateer … whom he run athawart and sunk him.
1693. Lond. Gaz., No. 2926/3. The Wind being Northerly … with a great Swell and strong Tide; The Frigats were obliged to Moor athwart it.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 167, note. A vessel … being laid athwart the Jetty Head.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., III. 284. Athwart the steamer’s bows.
4. Across the direction of, so as to meet or fall in with; hence fig. into the notice or observation of.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea, 232. If this Spanish shippe should fall athwart his King’s armado.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., II. vi. 71. Be not proud if that chance to come athwart thy seeing side, which meets with the blind side of another.
1817. Coleridge, Poems, 70. Ye sweep athwart my gaze.
1849. Robertson, Serm., I. ii. (1866), 34. The image … comes athwart his every thought.
5. Across the course of, so as to oppose.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 683. That dar’st … advance Thy miscreated Front athwart my way.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., iii. (1804), 10. If you come a-thwart me, ’ware.
1860. Maury, Phys. Geog. Sea, v. § 298. Mountains which lie athwart the course of the winds.
6. fig. a. In opposition to.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 39. I have seen this present work, and finde nothing athwart the Catholick faith.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., V. XIV. iii. 182. Honest to the bone, athwart all her prejudices.
b. catachr. Through, across.
1713. Addison, Cato, III. ii. (J.).
| And now, athwart the Terrors that thy Vow | |
| Has planted round thee, thou appear’st more fair, | |
| More amiable, and risest in thy Charms. |
C. Comb. Athwart-hawse, phrase used of a ship’s position across the stem of another ship at anchor; hence prep. phr. athwart-hawse of; athwart-ship a., athwart-ships adv., from side to side of the ship; athwart-wise, athwart.
1709. Lond. Gaz., No. 4543/2. He … laid her on Board under her Boltsprit, directly athwart her Hawse.
1813. Southey, Nelson, v. 150. Anchoring athwart-hawse of the Orient.
1718. Steele, Fish Pool, 177. Two bulk-heads, or ends of the Well, running athwartships.
1879. W. White, in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 363/1. An athwartship section of the lower part of a ship.
1868. Hawthorne, Amer. Note-bk. (1879), II. 223. And now lies athwartwise.
