thwart n : a crosspiece spreading the gunnels of a boat; used as a seat in a rowboat [syn: cross thwart] v : hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of; "What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge"; "foil your opponent" [syn: queer, spoil, scotch, foil, cross, frustrate, baffle, bilk]

Thwart \Thwart\, v. i.
1. To move or go in an oblique or crosswise manner. [R.]
2. Hence, to be in opposition; to clash. [R.] Any proposition . . . that shall at all thwart with internal oracles. --Locke.

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 athwart, transverse, Sw. tv["a]r cross, unfriendly, Goth. [thorn]wa['i]rhs angry. Cf. Queer.]
1. Situated or placed across something else; transverse; oblique. Moved contrary with thwart obliquities. --Milton.
2. Fig.: Perverse; crossgrained. [Obs.] --Shak.

Thwart \Thwart\, adv. [See Thwart, a.] Thwartly; obliquely; transversely; athwart. [Obs.] --Milton.

See more meaning on Thwart...

• Thwart: A thwart is a strut placed crosswise (left/right) in a ship or boat, to brace it crosswise. In rowboat s it can also serve as a seat for a ...

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