avast

Meanings

1. 1
   intj

   a nautical command to stop, cease, or hold fast

   The mate shouted, 'Avast!' before the sailors hauled the line any farther.

2. 2
   intj

   a stereotypical pirate-like call demanding attention

   With a theatrical growl, the actor cried, 'Avast, crew, and listen well!'

Simplified etymology

Avast was borrowed in the early 17th century from Dutch houd vast, meaning “hold fast,” in a nautical context.

Probably from Dutch houd vast, 'hold fast,' a command formed from houden, 'to hold,' and vast, 'fast or firm.' English sailors adopted it by the late seventeenth century as an order to stop an action. Its later association with theatrical pirate speech broadened it into a call for attention.

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