astride
prepEtymology From a- + stride.
1
With one’s legs on either side of.
- The boy sat astride his father’s knee.
2
Extending across (something).
- Chʻung-ming, an island astride the mouth of the Yangtze, had been captured against quite stiff opposition from the Chinese River Defense Force and was being developed into an advance naval and air base.1937, Michael Calvert, “Shanghai”, in Jon E. Lewis, editor, The Giant Book of Battles, London: Magpie Books, published 2006, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 129:
- The units have transverse seats, two and three astride the passageway with single or double longitudinal seats alongside the two entrance vestibules in each car.1960 November, “New electric multiple-units for British Railways: Glasgow Suburban”, in Trains Illustrated, page 660: