Word
abaft
Definitions
01at the back of a ship
adv. at or toward the back part of a ship.
adv. located in or toward the stern of a vessel.
“The captain stood on the deck and looked abaft at the trail in the water.”
“The crew gathered abaft to secure the rigging as the storm intensified near the stern.”
Technical
Synonyms
02behind something on a ship
prep. behind a specific part of a ship.
prep. further aft than or behind a specific object or position on a vessel.
“The lifeboats are located abaft the main mast.”
“The modern radar equipment was installed abaft the funnel to ensure an unobstructed view of the horizon.”
Technical
Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage
Commonly used with 'the' and a specific part of the ship (e.g., 'abaft the beam').
Etymology
From Middle English obaft, baft, baften, from Old English beæftan; be (“by”) (modern English by) + æftan (“behind”) (modern English after). See also aft.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.