steerageway

S1T1E1E1R1A1G2E1W4A1Y4
UK/ˈstɪə.ɹɪd͡ʒˌweɪ/US/ˈstiɹɪd͡ʒˌweɪ/

noun

The minimum speed of a ship, below which it does not answer the helm and cannot be steered.

Scrabble 18
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounsteerageway (countable and uncountable, plural steerageways)

plural steerageways · alternative steerage way · alternative steerage-way

  1. countableuncountablenauticalThe minimum speed of a ship, below which it does not answer the helm and cannot be steered.

    The latter made one tremendous spurt, then gave up in despair and hauled in his oars. French Pete let go the main-sheet, lost steerageway as he rounded up alongside the motionless skiff, and dragged Joe out.

    1902, Jack London, “chapter XII”, in The Cruise of the Dazzler

Origin

From steerage + way.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Hebrew הֵעָנוּת לַהֶגֶה
  • הֵעָנוּת לַהֶגֶה (he'anut lahege)minimum speed of a ship
Polish prędkość sterowna
  • prędkość sterownaminimum speed of a ship
Swedish styrfart
  • styrfartminimum speed of a ship
Cite this entry
APA

steerageway. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steerageway

MLA

“steerageway.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steerageway. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “steerageway,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steerageway.

Source: steerageway on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.