fore-and-aft

[fawr-uhnd-aft, -ahft, fohr-]

adjective

1. located along or parallel to a line from the stem to the stern.

adverb

1. fore.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fore-and-aft¹

First recorded in 1610–20

Idioms and Phrases

Both front and back, everywhere, as in The children clung to the teacher fore and aft. This expression is nautical terminology for the bow, or front, and the stern, or back, of a vessel. Today it is also used more broadly. [First half of 1600s]