Thwart Definition

thwôrt

thwarted, thwarting, thwarts

verb

thwarted, thwarting, thwarts

To prevent the occurrence, realization, or attainment of.

They thwarted her plans.

American Heritage

To extend or place over or across.

Webster's New World

To hinder, obstruct, frustrate, or defeat (a person, plans, etc.)

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

thwarts

A rower's seat extending across a boat.

Webster's New World

A brace extending across a canoe.

Webster's New World

(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.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
cross thwart

adjective

Lying or extending across something else; transverse; oblique.

Webster's New World

Perverse.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

preposition

Athwart; across.

American Heritage

adverb

Athwart.

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Thwart

Noun

Singular:

thwart

Plural:

thwarts

Origin of Thwart

From Old Norse þvert "˜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 *þweranÄ… (to turn) from Proto-Germanic *þerh-, from Proto-Indo-European *twork-/*twerk- (twist).

From Wiktionary
Middle English thwerten from thwert across from Old Norse thvert neuter of thverr transverse terkw- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition