Adjacent Words

Abaft definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

AB'AFT, adv. or prep. [Sax. eft or aeft, again. Hence efter or aefter, after, subsequent; Sax. aeftan, behind in place; to which word be is prefixed - beaeftan, behind, and this word is corrupted into abaft.]
A sea-term signifying in or at the hinder part of a ship, or the parts which lie towards the stern; opposed to afore. Relatively it denotes further aft or towards the stern; as abaft the mainmast. Abaft the beam, is in that arch of the horizon which is between a line drawn at right angles with the keel, and the point to which the stern is directed. It is often contracted into aft.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adv
1: at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane; "stow the luggage aft"; "ships with square sails sail fairly efficiently with the wind abaft"; "the captain looked astern to see what the fuss was about" [syn: aft, abaft, astern] [ant: fore, forward]

Merriam Webster's

I. adverb Etymology: Middle English, from a- + baft in the rear, from Old English bæftan, from be- + æftan behind — more at aft Date: 15th century toward or at the stern ; aft II. preposition Date: 1594 to the rear of; specifically toward the stern from

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adv. & prep. Naut. --adv. in the stern half of a ship. --prep. nearer the stern than; aft of. Etymology: A(2) + -baft f. OE beæftan f. be BY + æftan behind

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Abaft A*baft" ([.a]*b[.a]ft"), prep. [Pref. a- on + OE. baft, baften, biaften, AS. be[ae]ftan; be by + [ae]ftan behind. See After, Aft, By.] (Naut.) Behind; toward the stern from; as, abaft the wheelhouse. Abaft the beam. See under Beam.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Abaft A*baft", adv. (Naut.) Toward the stern; aft; as, to go abaft.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. prep. (Naut.) Behind, back of, in the rear of. II. ad. (Naut.) Aft, astern, behind, back, rearward, in the rear.