What does alist mean?
"Alist" is an adjective meaning tilted or leaning to one side, used almost exclusively of ships. A vessel that has taken on water or suffered damage may be described as running or lying alist — that is, heeling over at an angle rather than sitting upright in the water. The word is formed from the prefix "a-" (meaning "in" or "on") combined with "list," the nautical term for a ship's sideways tilt. Though once a working term among sailors, "alist" is today considered archaic or literary; modern writers are far more likely to say a ship is "listing." It survives mainly in historical fiction, older maritime accounts, and dictionaries of sea language, where it lends an authentic period flavor. For readers, encountering "alist" is a small reminder of how much of English vocabulary was shaped by the age of sail.
adjectiveLeaning or tilted to one side; especially of a ship, listing to one side.
- (Of a ship or other object) leaning or tilted to one side.
"The old schooner rode at anchor, slightly alist from the storm's damage."
"The damaged frigate lay alist in the harbor until repairs could begin."
"He noticed the picture frame hanging distinctly alist on the wall."
Alist is what a ship becomes after taking on water — and it packs 'leaning' into just five letters.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of alist
"Alist" derives from the prefix "a-" (from Old English, meaning "on" or "in") joined to "list," a nautical verb of Germanic origin meaning to lean or tilt to one side. It emerged as a seafaring term, attested from around the early 17th century, when precise vocabulary for a ship's condition was essential. Its root is shared simply with the verb "list" itself; no distant cognates are firmly established.
How alist is actually used
"Alist" is chiefly nautical and now largely archaic or literary; in modern usage the adjective "listing" is far more common for describing a ship tilting.
Easily confused with alist
"A list" is a noun phrase meaning a series of items written down (or an exclusive group, as in "the A-list"), while "alist" is a single archaic word meaning tilted or leaning.