abaft

American  

[uh-baft, uh-bahft] / əˈbæft, əˈbɑft /

preposition

1. to the rear of; aft of.

   the fife rail abaft the mainmast.

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adverb

1. in the direction of the stern; astern; aft.

abaft British  

/ əˈbɑːft /

adverb

1. closer to the stern than to another place on a vessel

   with the wind abaft

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preposition

1. behind; aft of

   abaft the mast

Etymology

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 by aft ¹

Explanation

Ahoy! Abaft is a word used on boats. If something is abaft, it’s towards the rear, or stern, of a boat. Abaft means "in the back." Though rarely heard on dry land, this old seafaring word refers to the rear end of a ship. Abaft can also refer to the back end of an airplane. Even if you’re not a sailor (or pilot), if you read Moby Dick or other stories of the sea, then you’ll need to know what abaft means. Think of the word after when you see that aft on the end.

Example Sentences

In Valchem crew's quarters, just five or six feet abaft the deep cut, an oiler awoke into a nightmare.

From Time Magazine Archive

At the airport the driver fetches a monoplane wing, bolts it into place just abaft the cabin door.

From Time Magazine Archive

The mainsheet is under the deck, with a two-part adjustment just abaft the helm, and all the winch-control buttons are recessed flush with removable chafe pads.

From Time Magazine Archive

Even as I looked several long red flashes spurted forward and abaft the funnel, and as I raced back to the cabin the passageway behind me heaved and filled with smoke.

From Time Magazine Archive

He made his way just abaft of the cabin, then stood squinting up at the Susan Marie’s guys and stays and at the peaks of her stabilizer bars.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson