Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

careen

/kəˈɹiːn/ verb

Latin root: carīna First recorded: late 16th century Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about careen at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To heave a ship down on one side so as to expose the other, in order to clean it of barnacles and weed, or to repair it below the water line.
To tilt on one side.
To lurch or sway violently from side to side.

noun

The position of a ship laid on one side.

Origin

First attested in the late 16th century, from French carène (“keel”), from Italian carena, from Latin carīna (“keel of a ship”). Doublet of carene and carina.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word