astride

Etymology

From a- + stride.

adv

1. With one’s legs on either side.
   The men ride their horses astride.

prep

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, →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