Amidships

//əˈmɪd.ʃɪps// adv, intj

adv, intj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adverb
  1. 1
    In the middle of a ship, either longitudinally or laterally. not-comparable, usually

    "[The U-boat captain] waited until the crosshairs lay directly amidships."

  2. 2
    Usually in the line of the keel, but sometimes halfway between bow and stern; often contracted to “midships.” (FM 55-501). not-comparable, usually
  3. 3
    On the flank, at a vulnerable place. figuratively, not-comparable, usually

    "In stating that the Woosters never give up, I was in error. These words caught me amidships and took all the fighting spirit out of me, leaving me a spent force."

Adverb
  1. 1
    at or near or toward the center of a ship wordnet
Intj
  1. 1
    A helm order, normally shortened to midships!, to centre the helm in the line of the keel.

Synonyms

All synonyms
amidshipaveragebetwixt and betweencentralcoreequatorial

Example

More examples

"A royal tent of purple and gold softly cushioned was raised amidships, where the bridal pair were to repose during the calm cool night."

Etymology

From amid + ships.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.