Veered off course is a phrase used to describe when something has deviated from its intended path. Yawed (5 letters) and yawd (4 letters) are both terms used to describe the action of turning or swerving away from a straight line. Yawed is the past tense of the verb 'YAW, ' which means to turn or swerve, while yawd is the past participle of the same verb. Both words can be used to describe the action of veering off course.