abaft

[ uh-baft, uh-bahft ]

/ əˈbæft, əˈbɑft /

Nautical

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preposition

to the rear of; aft of: the fife rail abaft the mainmast.

adverb

in the direction of the stern; astern; aft.

RELATED WORDS

astern, back, behind, rearward

Nearby words

Origin of abaft

1225–75; Middle English on baft, abaft, equivalent to a-¹ and on on + baft, Old English bæftan contraction of be + æftan. See by¹ aft¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for abaft

The fore and main tops are sent up from abaft, and the mizzen from forward.
The Seaman's Friend|Richard Henry Dana
The high sharp prow had struck a glancing blow just abaft the anchor and sliced away the whole starboard side of the forecastle.
Command|William McFee
That part of the ship's hull which is abaft the midships or dead-flat, as seen from astern.
The Sailor's Word-Book|William Henry Smyth
There was the necessary lavatory accommodation, abaft the firemen's quarters at the sides of the ship.
Loss of the Steamship 'Titanic'|British Government

Abaft the mizzen-mast were the two cabins respectively occupied by Captain Coxon and Mr. Duckling.
The Wreck of the Grosvenor, Volume 1 of 3|William Clark Russell

British Dictionary definitions for abaft

abaft

/ (əˈbɑːft) nautical /

adverb, adjective (postpositive)

closer to the stern than to another place on a vesselwith the wind abaft

preposition

behind; aft ofabaft the mast

Word Origin for abaft

C13: on baft; baft from Old English beæftan, from be by + æftan behind

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for abaft

abaft

adv.

"in or at the back part of a ship" (opposed to forward), 1590s, from Middle English on baft (Old English on bæftan) "backwards." The second component is itself a compound of be "by" (see by) and æftan "aft" (see aft). The word has been saved by the sailors (the stern being the "after" part of a vessel), the rest of the language having left it in Middle English.