Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

fore-and-aft

adjective \ ˌfȯr-ə-ˈnaft \
Updated on: 3 May 2018
See What's Trending Now See More Trending Words

Definition of fore-and-aft

1 : lying, running, or acting in the general line of the length of a construction (such as a ship or a house) : longitudinal
2 : having no square sails

See fore-and-aft defined for kids

First Known Use of fore-and-aft

1820

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

fore and aft

adverb

Definition of fore and aft

1 : lengthwise of a ship : from stem to stern
2 : in, at, or toward both the bow and stern
3 : in or at the front and back or the beginning and end

Recent Examples of fore and aft from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fore and aft.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of fore and aft

circa 1618

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

FORE-AND-AFT Defined for Kids

fore-and-aft

adjective \ ˌfȯr-ə-ˈnaft \

Definition of fore-and-aft for Students

: being in line with the length of a ship
  • fore-and-aft sails

Learn More about fore-and-aft

  1. See words that rhyme with fore-and-aft Spanish Central: Translation of fore-and-aft

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up fore-and-aft? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

cajole

play

to coax or persuade

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. embolization 'the process by which a blood vessel or organ is obstructed by a material mass'

  2. oleaginous 'marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality'

  3. pansexual 'sexual desire or attraction...not limited to a particular gender identity or sexual orientation'

  4. symbiote 'an organism living in symbiosis'

  5. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

fore-and-aft

Test Your Vocabulary

May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

  • spring-flowers
  • Which is a synonym of raillery?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-5b06e60511014
'Deprived' vs. 'Depraved'

Nobody wants to be either.

alt-5b05d8545c817
'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

Tag the way you want to tag.

image564383649
12 Words from All Over the Map

Some words say exactly where they're from

alt-5b032d1aef0e9
'Ingenious' and 'Ingenuous': More Than a Typo

One's clever, the other's like a child

Ask the Editors

video-ghost-words
Ghost Word

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary.

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

spring-flowers
May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

We’re already at the end of May?!

Take the quiz
image1676440788
Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

How familiar are you with Nabokov’s unfamiliar vocabulary?

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
Bee Cubed
Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game