Yaw, as a verb, describes a ship, aircraft, spacecraft, or projectile moving left or right, often uncontrollably. More generally, it can also mean to alternate repeatedly between different states or things. For example, a ship might yaw hard right after being hit by a wave. An album might yaw between different musical styles. The motion of a spacecraft can involve yawing and pitching due to external forces. The word yaw has nautical origins, first appearing in the 16th century as a noun meaning "movement off course." It then became a verb, often used with "pitch." With the advent of aviation, nautical terms like yaw were adopted for describing aircraft motion. Today, yaw is commonly used by pilots and rocket scientists to describe the movement of their crafts. Its exact origin remains unknown.