aft

[ aft, ahft ]

/ æft, ɑft /

Nautical, Aeronautics

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See synonyms for aft on Thesaurus.com

adverb

at, close to, or toward the stern or tail: Stow the luggage aft.

adjective

situated toward or at the stern or tail: The aft sail was luffing.

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

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Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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Origin of aft

before 950; Middle English afte,Old English æftan from behind, equivalent to æf- opposite + -t- suffix of uncertain value + -an suffix marking motion from; cognate with Old Frisian efta,Old Saxon, Old High German aftan,Gothic aftana,Old Norse aptan,Greek opís(s)ō behind; not akin to Greek apóoff

Other definitions for aft (2 of 4)

aft²

[ aft, ahft ]

/ æft, ɑft /

adverb Scot.

oft.

Other definitions for aft (3 of 4)

aft.

abbreviation

afternoon.

Other definitions for aft (4 of 4)

A.F.T.

abbreviation

American Federation of Teachers.

How to use aft in a sentence

The fore and aft have beautiful decks carved into them, and windows from various rooms too: it looks like a floating Apple device.
The World's Most Beautiful Boat—Yours for Half a Billion Dollars|Tim Teeman|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The New York State United Teachers, part of AFT, recently voted to pull its support for Common Core.
The Incredibly Stupid War on the Common Core|Charles Upton Sahm|April 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jones then went aft to a locker near the stern, whence he returned with a mallet and chisel, and went below.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands|R.M. Ballantyne
Then he jumped aft mighty quick, grabbed the wheel as cool as anything you ever saw, and had her under headway in no time.
The Rival Campers|Ruel Perley Smith

Daily ascending the companion-ladder to the main-deck aft, she gradually faded from cognisance forward.
Hilda|Sarah Jeanette Duncan
Then, for a wind had arisen, the man ran aft to the wheel, and Henry Burns saw the strange yacht go sailing out of the harbour.
The Rival Campers|Ruel Perley Smith
On the deck, forward and aft, are hatchways which give entrance to the bow and stern compartments respectively.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.

British Dictionary definitions for aft

aft

/ (ɑːft) /

adverb, adjective

mainly nautical towards or at the stern or rearthe aft deck; aft of the engines

Word Origin for aft

C17: perhaps a shortened form of earlier abaft

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