stern

pronunciation

How to pronounce stern in British English: UK [stɜːn] word uk audio image

How to pronounce stern in American English: US [stɜːrn] word us audio image

Noun:

the rear part of a ship
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
Adjective:

of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
severe and unremitting in making demands

Word Origin

stern: stern: English has two distinct words stern. The older, the adjective ‘severe’ [OE], comes from a prehistoric Germanic *sternjaz, which was probably derived from the base *ster-, *star- ‘be rigid’ (source also of English starch, stare, starve, etc). Stern ‘rear of a vessel’ [13] is etymologically the ‘steering’ end of a ship. The word was probably borrowed from Old Norse stjórn ‘steering’, a derivative of the same base as produced stýra ‘steer’ (source of English steer).=> starch, stare, starve, stereo, stork; steer

stern (adj.): Old English styrne "severe, strict, grave, hard, cruel," from Proto-Germanic *sternijaz (cognates: Middle High German sterre, German starr "stiff," störrig "obstinate;" Gothic andstaurran "to be stiff;" Old Norse stara; Old English starian "to look or gaze upon"), from PIE root *ster- (1) "rigid, stiff" (see stereo-). Related: Sternly; sternness.

stern (n.): early 13c., "hind part of a ship; steering gear of a ship," probably from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse stjorn "a steering," related to or derived from styra "to guide" (see steer (v.)). Or the word may come from Old Frisian stiarne "rudder," which also is related to steer (v.). Stern-wheeler as a type of steam-boat is from 1855, American English.

1. Adult male gorillas , called silverbacks , play the role of stern patrician .

5. Stern guides have been replaced by volunteers offering fancy-dress outfits or cooking lessons to children .