aft
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.located at or near the back of a ship, boat, or airplane.
adj.situated at, near, or toward the stern of a vessel or the rear of an aircraft.
Simple“The crew gathered in the aft cabin to discuss the route.”
In context“The aft cargo hold was reinforced to accommodate the additional weight of the backup generators during the long-haul flight.”
UsageCommonly used in nautical and aviation contexts to distinguish from 'fore'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adv.towards the back part of a ship or plane.
adv.towards the stern or rear of a vessel or aircraft.
Simple“The captain walked aft to check on the engines.”
In context“As the storm intensified, the sailors were ordered to move aft to help secure the loose equipment near the rudder.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a short, casual way to say 'afternoon'.
n.a clipped form of 'afternoon', used as a temporal noun.
Simple“See you this aft for a cup of tea.”
In context“He spent the entire aft working in the garden, taking advantage of the rare sunshine before the evening rain arrived.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is quite rare in modern standard English; learners will mostly encounter it in older texts or specific regional dialects.