Naut. Forms: 1 stéorbord, 4 stere-b(o)urde, 5 sterbord(e, 6 steereboord, -board, steirburd (Sc.), starbourd, (7 stereboard), 6–7 starboord, starrebord(e, 7 starr-boord, -board, starbord, (starbur), 7– starboard. [OE. stéorbord, f. stéor steering paddle, rudder, STEER sb. + bord BOARD sb. Equivalent compounds (some of which do not strictly correspond in form) are MDu. stierbord, stuyrbord (Du. stuurboord), MHG. stiurbort (mod.G. steuerbord), OIcel., mod.Icel. stjórnborði (now pronounced stjórborði), Sw., Da. styrbord. The Rom. langs. have adopted the word from one or other of the Teut. langs.: OF. estribord (mod.F. tribord), Sp. estribor(d, Pg. estribordo, usually estibordo, It. stribordo.
The etymological sense of the word refers to the mode of steering the early Teutonic ships, by means of a paddle worked over the right side of the vessel. The left or larboard side, to which the steersman turned his back, was in several Teut. langs. called ‘back-board,’ whence F. bâbord: see BABURD.]
A. sb. The right-hand side of a ship, as distinguished from the LARBOARD or PORT side; the side upon which in early types of ships the steering apparatus was worked. (See LARBOARD note.) Often in the phrases † a, on, upon, to starboard.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., I. i. § 14. Let him ealne weʓ þæt weste land on ðæt steorbord, & þa widsæ on ðæt bæcbord þrie daʓas. Ibid. Ac him wæs ealne weʓ weste land on þæt steorbord … & him wæs a widsæ on ðæt bæcbord.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 745. Frekes … Standez appone stere-bourde. Ibid., 3665. So stowttly the forsterne one the stam hyttis, That stokkes of the stere-burde strykkys in peces!
1495, 1591, 1598, 1698. [see LARBOARD].
1568. Satir. Poems Reform., xlvi. 6. Se that hir hatchis be handlit richt, Wt steirburd, baburd, luf and lie.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 83. He commaunded him at the helme, to put it close a starbourd.
1633. T. Stafford, Pac. Hib., III. viii. 312. He … ordered it so, that with two takles hee might steere the Hoy either to Starboard, or to Port.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Thevenot’s Trav., I. 16. When we were got out to Sea, we bore away to the starboard.
1762. Falconer, Shipwr., II. 819. Brace fore and aft to starboard every yard.
1833. Tennyson, Lotos-Eaters, viii. 7. We, Roll’d to starboard, roll’d to larboard, when the surge was seething free.
1874. Bedford, Sailor’s Pocket Bk., iii. 48. If to your starboard red appear, It is your duty to keep clear.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xxxv. Those who had not been warned … rushed to the starboard.
b. as adv. To or on the starboard side.
1634–5. Brereton, Trav. (Chetham Soc.), 169. Starboard, that is to the right hand.
1644. Manwayring, Seamans Dict., 28. Then he who conds uses these termes to him at the helme, starr-boord, larboord, the helme a mid-ships.
1647, 1663. [see LARBOARD b].
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., I. ii. 20. Give fire Starboard.
1883. Burton & Cameron, Gold Coast, I. i. 4. Starboard rose black Ithaca, fronting the black mountain of Cephalonia.
b. attrib. passing into adj. Of, belonging to or situated on the right side of a boat or vessel.
1495. Naval Acc. Hen. VII. (1896), 192. Sterborde Bowers—j, Latheborde Bowers—j.
1538. Admiralty Crt. Exam., 28 May, 2. The Thomas with the loreborde buttock touched the fore parte of the shippe … at a place callyd the starrebord luffe.
1540. Sel. Pleas Crt. Admiralty (Selden Soc.), I. 91. The said shippe … dydd hange … soo violentle upon starreborde sydd of the said shippe … that the cable … dydd breake.
1594. Nashe, Terrors of Night, Wks. (Grosart), III. 270. Fellowes … that … knew … what belongs to haling of bolings yare, and falling on the star-boord buttocke.
1626. P. Nichols, Drake Revived, 22. One [pinnace] on the starboord bough, the other on the starboord quarter … forthwith boarded her.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., ix. 42. Hale off your starboord sheats.
1635. J. Hayward, trans. Biondi’s Banish’d Virgin, 156. Causing him to be at the self-same time boarded on both the Starbur and Larbur-sides.
1644. Manwayring, Seamans Dict., 114. The ships company is divided into two parts, the one called the Star-boord-watch, the other the Lar-boord-watch.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., I. ii. 20. Give him our Starboard Broad-side.
1697. Dampier, Voy., I. 452. The fury of the Wind … took the Ship on the Starboard bow with such violence, that it snapt off the Boltsprit.
1747. Gentl. Mag., VII. 247/1. We … began to form the line on the starboard tack.
1798. in Nicolas, Disp. Nelson (1846), VII. p. cliv. We wore gradually round … till we brought the wind on the starboard beam.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, iii. He flogged the whole starboard watch. Ibid., xii. ‘Sail on the starboard-bow!’ cried the look-out man.
1875. Bedford, Sailor’s Pocket Bk., i. 18. The Starboard Columns of a formation [of ships] are the alternate Columns, commencing from the right.
1877. Black, Green Past., xxvii. Who gave us that piece of advice about choosing a starboard berth.
