When a ship, plane, or other object turns unintentionally from its straight course by rotating left or right around its vertical axis; or to make such a turn.
From Old Norse 'jaga' meaning 'to hunt' or possibly from Middle English/Dutch nautical terminology. The term became standard in maritime and aviation contexts to describe unwanted lateral movement.
Pilots are obsessed with yaw because it's the most difficult motion to control in an airplane—that's why planes have a vertical tail fin (rudder), and modern helicopters and drones need constant computer corrections to prevent yaw from ruining flight.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.