(ft, æ-)  Forms: 1 æftan, (2-6 wanting), 7 afte, 7- aft. [As usual with nautical terms the early history is lost; but comparison with the derived baft (earlier baftè, baften, bæftan, be æftan), show it to be the OE. æftan, cogn. w. Goth. aftana from behind, f. afta behind; formally a superlative of af off, away, with primitive superlative suffix -ta: cf. Gr. -, -. The true relation of af-ter and af-t is that of Gr. - and -; but OE. æftan was only an adv. of position, and it is apt to be treated in mod.Eng. as the positive of AFTER.] 

    1. gen. Behind, in the rear. Obs.
 
  937 O.E. Chron., B. of Brunanburh 63 Let him behindan..earn æftan hwít · æses brúcan.
 

    2. Naut.    a. Of position: In or near the hinder part or stern of a ship. Also of an aircraft.
 
  1628 DIGBY Voy. Medit. (1868) 3 Of aequall height fore and aft. 1706 PHILLIPS s.v., How chear ye fore and aft? i.e. How fares all your Ships Company? 1718 STEELE Fish-pool 170 Whose hold had gratings 'fore and aft'. 1863 LONGFELLOW Olaf xi, Though the flying sea-spray drenches Fore and aft the rowers' benches.
 

    b. Of motion or direction: Towards the stern, into the hinder part of the ship. Also of an aircraft.
 
  1678 PHILLIPS, Aft or Abaft, a word us'd by Seamen to signify any Action, Motion, or Application from the Stemwards of the Ship toward the Stern; as Go aft. 1748 ANSON Voyage III. ii. (ed. 4) 425 We..began to get the guns aft. 1832 LANDER Exped. Niger III. xvi. 254 Call them aft, and let them stand by the arms. 1833 MARRYAT Pet. Simple (1863) 52 He said to us as we came on deck,‘Walk aft, young gentlemen.’ 1859 W. JAMES Nav. Hist. Gt. Brit. IV. 73 Seized and carried aft, as the ringleader of the mutiny. 1948 ‘N. SHUTE’ No Highway ix. 242 We climbed up into the fuselage and went aft through the luggage bay.
 

    c. fore and aft: from stem to stern, lengthwise. Also attrib.
 
  a1618 RALEIGH Inv. Shipping 29 Needing no other addition..then a slight spar Decke, fore and afte as the Seamen call it. 1878 M. FOSTER Physiol. II. i. §3. 225 A certain amount of lateral and fore and aft movement.
 

    3. Of time: Back from the present, earlier.
 
  1674 N. FAIRFAX Bulk & Selv. 38 There being nothing but everlasting God..there can be no such thing as Time, or fore, or aft, at all. 1676 HOBBES Odyssey 299 Next him spake Alitherses, who alone Saw fore and aft.
 

    4. Comb. aft-cabin, aft-meal = after-cabin, after-banquet in AFTER- in comb. II.
 
  1816 Gentl. Mag. LXXXVI. I. 102 The aft-cabin was only wanting to make the boat complete. a1608 THYNNE Debate 49 (N) At aft-meales who shall paye for the wine? 1896 Strand Mag. XII. 323/1 At the fore-end and at the aft-end of the vessel. 1915 ‘BARTIMEUS’ Tall Ship i. 9 He..was precipitated through his cabin door across the aft-deck. 1948 ‘N. SHUTE’ No Highway i. 27 The aft windows of the cabin. 1961 Engineering 20 Jan. 123/1 The aft-engine concept pioneered..in the Caravelle..has..been adopted by Boeing for its short to medium range 727.