adverb
- at, close to, or toward the stern or tail: Stow the luggage aft.
adjective
- situated toward or at the stern or tail: The aft sail was luffing.
adverb Scot.
- oft.
- American Federation of Teachers.
adverb, adjective
- mainly nautical towards or at the stern or rearthe aft deck; aft of the engines
Old English æftan “from behind, behind, farthest back,” from superlative of Old English æf, af, of “away, away from, off” (see of). The Germanic superlative suffix *-ta corresponds to PIE *-to (cf. Greek protos “first,” superlative of pro “before”). Now purely nautical.