abaft
1 of 2adverb
ə-ˈbaft 
: toward or at the stern : aft
abaft
2 of 2preposition
: to the rear of
specifically : toward the stern from
Synonyms
Adverb
- aft
- astern
- sternward
- sternwards
Preposition
- back of
- behind
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adverb the lookout in the crow's nest warned that there was an enemy frigate abaft and bearing down hard on their ship Preposition a school of porpoises swam abaft the fishing boat
Word History
Etymology
Adverb
Middle English, from a- + baft in the rear, from Old English bæftan, from be- + æftan behind — more at aft
First Known Use
Adverb
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Preposition
15th century, in the meaning defined above
abaft 1 of 2
adverb
as in aft
near, toward, or in the stern of a ship or the tail of an aircraft the lookout in the crow's nest warned that there was an enemy frigate abaft and bearing down hard on their ship Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- aft
- astern
- behind
- backward
- backwards
- back
- rearwards
- rearward
- after
- sternward
- sternwards
- posteriorly
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- forward
- fore
- ahead
- before
- anteriorly
abaft
2 of 2preposition
as in behind
at, to, or toward the rear of a school of porpoises swam abaft the fishing boat Synonyms & Similar Words
- behind
- back of
- in back of
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- before
- ahead of