abaft

English

Etymology

From a- (“on”) + Middle English baft, baften, biaften, Old English beæftan; be (“by”) (modern English by) + æftan (“behind”) (modern English after).[1][2] See also aft.

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˈbæft/ or IPA(key): /əˈbɑːft/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /əˈbæft/ or IPA(key): /əˈbɑft/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɑːft

Preposition

abaft

  1. (nautical) Behind; toward the stern relative to some other object or position; aft of. [First attested around the late 15th century.][3]
    The captain stood abaft the wheelhouse.

Translations

Adverb

abaft (comparative more abaft, superlative most abaft)

  1. (nautical) On the aft side; in the stern. [First attested in the early 17th century.][3]
    We drifted with the wind abaft.
    The mate sleeps abaft.
  2. (nautical, obsolete) Backwards. [Attested from around (1150 to 1350) until the late 15th century.][3]

Translations

References
  1. Morris, William, editor (1969) The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, New York, NY: American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., published 1971, →ISBN, page 1
  2. Urdang, Laurence, editor (1975) The Random House College Dictionary, New York, NY: Random House, Inc., published 1984, →ISBN, page 1
  3. “abaft” in Lesley Brown, editor, The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 2.

Anagrams
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