Afar

¹

[ah-fahr]

noun

plural

Afars, Afara ,

plural

Afar .

1. a member of a nomadic Muslim people living in Eritrea, Djibouti, and northern Ethiopia.

2. the Northern Cushitic language spoken by the Afars.

afar

²

[uh-fahr]

adverb

1. from, at, or to a distance; far away (usually followed byoff ).

   He saw the castle afar off.

afar

/ əˈfɑː /

adverb

1. at, from, or to a great distance

noun

1. a great distance (esp in the phrase from afar )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Afar¹

1125–75; Middle English a fer, on ferr; replacing Old English feorran. See a- ¹ (perhaps also a- ² for the meaning “from”), far

Word History and Origins

Origin of Afar¹

C14: a fer, altered from earlier on fer and of fer; see _a- ², _far

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. from afar, from a long way off.

   The princess saw him riding toward her from afar.

Example Sentences

Sir Michael said he was initially impressed from afar by Jones' acting.

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And then a screechy voice called out from afar.

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Law enforcement eventually placed an ankle monitor on her husband, but he came to her son’s soccer games, stalking them and watching from afar.

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These distant cells appeared to influence the planarian stem cells' position and function during regeneration, even from afar.

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As well as British holidaymakers, the BBC has spoken to Britons anxiously watching from afar as their loved ones prepare for impact.

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