avast

English

WOTD – 19 September 2024

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Dutch hou vast, houd vast (“hold tight”),^[1] from houd (imperative of houden (“to hold”)) + vast (“fast, firm”).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /əˈvɑːst/, /-ˈvæst/
(General American) IPA^(key): /əˈvæst/
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Rhymes: -ɑːst, -æst

Interjection

avast (nautical)

Hold fast!; cease!; stop!
Synonyms: desist, stay; see also Thesaurus:avast
- 1681, Thomas Otway, The Souldiers Fortune: A Comedy. , London: R. Bentley and M. Magnes, , →OCLC, Act IV, page 51:
  Then pull avvay, hoa up, hoa up, hoa up, ſo avaſt there, Sir.
- 1748, [Tobias Smollett], “I am Seized with a Deep Melancholy, and Become a Sloven ”, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. , volume II, London: [William Strahan] for J Osborn , →OCLC, page 305:
  Avaſt, brother, avaſt! ſheer off—Yo ho! you turnkey, vvhy don't you keep a better look out? here's one of your crazy priſoners broke from his laſhings, I do ſuppoſe.
- 1836, [Frederick Marryat], “In which our hero sets off on another cruise, in which he is not blown off shore”, in Mr. Midshipman Easy , volume II, London: Saunders and Otley, , →OCLC, page 87:
  [T]he sail went into the water, and he could not drag it in. "Avast heaving," said Gascoigne, "till I throw her up and take the wind out of it."
- 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Ramadan”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 93:
  [S]he caught me as I was again trying to force the open the door. "I won't allow it; I won't have my premises spoiled. Go for the locksmith, there's one about a mile from here. But avast!" putting her hand in her side-pocket, "here's a key that'll fit, I guess; let's see." And with that, she turned it in the lock; but, alas! Queequeg's supplemental bolt remained unwithdrawn within.
- 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “In the Enemy’s Camp”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part VI (Captain Silver), page 233:
  "Avast, there!" cried Silver. "Who are you, Tom Morgan? Maybe you thought you was cap'n here, perhaps. By the powers, but I'll teach you better! […]"
- 1914 October – 1916 July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Shanghaied”, in The Mucker, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published 31 October 1921, →OCLC, part I, page 15:
  "Avast there!" cried the captain, and as though to punctuate his remark he swung the heavy stick he usually carried full upon the back of Billy's head.
- 2008, Nadia Higgins, Avast, Ye Dog Thief! (Barnacle Barb & Her Pirate Crew)‎, Edina, Minn.: Magic Wagon, ABDO Publishing Group, →ISBN:
  "That landlubber's stole me dog!" Armpit cried. "Avast, ye dog thief!" he roared to the man.
(slang) In imitation of pirates: listen!; pay attention!
Synonyms: see Thesaurus:heads up

Avast, ye landlubbers!
- 2005 September, John Baur, Mark Summers, Piratitude! So You Wanna be a Pirate? Here’s How!, New York, N.Y.: New American Library, →ISBN, pages 35 and 166:
  [“Pirate Talk: How to Make It Work for You”, page 35] Avast—"Stop and give attention." It can be used in a sense of surprise: "Whoa! Get a load of that!" when a beautiful woman walks into the room. "Avast! Check out the bowsprit on that fine beauty!" you might say. […] [“Cap’n Slappy’s Practical Parrot Pointers”, page 166] Arrrr! Avast, Cap'n Slappy. Does ye know where the treasure of the Sierra Madre be buried? If ye don't tell me its whereabouts, I'll have to swing ye from the yardarm, matey.

Usage notes

Regarding sense 1, “avast hauling!” (meaning, “stop hauling!”) was in 1950 (and may still be) commonly used as a command in U.S. Navy deck operations.
Sense 2 (“listen!”) is based on a misconstrual of the meaning. If uttered by a historical sailor, the meaning of the sentence “Avast, ye Matey” would have been, “Desist, you novice seaman”.