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Glite Dictionary
astern

astern

1 7.9
Toward the rear of a ship or plane
  • adverb
  • /əˈstɜrn/
translation icon : a popa
  • With the storm behind them, they could finally see the coastline astern, reassuring them they were safe.
  • yards astern
  • look astern
  • go astern

Examples

  • The boat was sliding into a dark gorge; with amazing velocity, the rock walls passed astern.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The white bulk of the Lincoln Memorial flashed past the cockpit's portside window and vanished astern.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Look astern of her, captain.

    Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

  • Usually, as one island was lost astern, the next would become visible on the horizon.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • I put her hard to starboard and ran the engines full astern, but it was too close.

    Titanic (1997)

  • I'll toss your breast lines to you, and I'll haul my vessel astern.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • A gout of water erupted a few hundred yards astern.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • From the last of these, a motor galley plunged forth, wake churning up astern.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • As the boat sailed away, the lighthouse gradually faded astern, becoming just a silhouette.

  • The captain ordered the crew to look astern to check for any ships following them.

Synonyms

aft
vsastern
  • Specialized
51 7.0

Near the back of a ship or the tail of a plane

is used more broadly for rearward direction or movement
abaft
vsastern
  • Specialized
9.9

Towards the back of a ship or plane

is used more broadly for rearward direction or movement
sternward
vsastern
  • Specialized
8.1

Toward the back of a ship or boat

is used more broadly for rearward direction or movement

Antonyms

forward
176 1.0

Near the front in the direction someone faces or moves

Surface Forms

astern positive

Morphology

astern = stern (semi-transparent) = a + stern

The relation to 'stern' is real, but the locative adverbial prefix 'a-' is not very productive or obvious for most learners.

Etymology

The word astern comes from a- meaning 'on' and stern meaning 'the back of a ship', so to go astern is to move toward the back of the ship or the rear.