Definition
Sudden, unintended sideways deviations of the airplane from its intended taxi path, typically caused by uneven braking, crosswind effects, excessive power application, or abrupt rudder or nosewheel steering inputs.
Plain English
Quick, unwanted side-to-side movements of the airplane while taxiing — the nose darts left or right when you didn't mean it to.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in taxiing discussions, especially when learning to keep the airplane moving straight and under control on the ground.
Derivation
From Old English 'sweorfan,' meaning to turn aside or rub. The everyday sense — a car swerving to avoid something — carries straight into aviation: an unplanned sideways turn away from the intended path.
Why Pilots Care
Uncontrolled swerves can cause the aircraft to leave the paved surface, strike obstacles, or collide with other traffic during taxi.
Intuition Check
Do not read “swerves” as only a big, dramatic skid. In taxiing, even a small sudden turn away from the intended path can be a swerve if it reduces control or spacing.
Example Sentence 1
The student over-corrected with the rudder, causing the airplane to swerve left and right down the taxiway.
Example Sentence 2
A strong quartering tailwind caused the tailwheel airplane to swerve sharply during the turn onto the runway.