Starboard

Starboard is the right-hand side of a vessel or aircraft when facing forward. It is a standard nautical reference used to describe orientation and maneuvers, with the left-hand side called port.

Etymology and history: The word derives from Old English steorbord, from steor meaning “to steer” and bord meaning “board,” referring to the side of the ship where the steering oar was mounted. The term evolved into starboard over time. The opposite side was historically called larboard; due to frequent miscommunication with starboard, English eventually adopted port as the standard left-side term by the late 18th century.

Usage and conventions: In navigation, port and starboard are used to describe directions and to issue commands. At night, ships display navigation lights with green on the starboard (right) side and red on the port (left) side, with a white light visible at the stern. A vessel may be said to be on a starboard tack when the wind comes over the starboard side. The terms remain standard in maritime language and are used in both commercial and recreational contexts.