aft
1[ aft, ahft ]
/ æft, ɑft /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
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.
Origin of aft
1before 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)
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use aft in a sentence
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