1. the rear parts of ships or boats
Usage: nautical; plural of stern

Examples

• The two ships collided stern to stern in the harbor.
• The captain ordered the crew to secure the sterns before the storm.
• Both vessels had their names painted on their sterns.
• The fishing boats turned their sterns toward the wind.
• We could see the sterns of several yachts from the dock.
• The naval ships aligned their sterns in formation.