prep. [ Pref. a- on + OE. baft, baften, biaften, AS. beæftan; be by + æftan behind. See After, Aft, By. ] (Naut.) Behind; toward the stern from; as, abaft the wheelhouse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abaft the beam. See under Beam. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. (Naut.) Toward the stern; aft; as, to go abaft. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. [ Pref. a- (for on) + drift. ] Floating at random; in a drifting condition; at the mercy of wind and waves. Also fig. [ 1913 Webster ]

So on the sea shall be set adrift. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Were from their daily labor turned adrift. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. & a. [ AS. æftan behind; orig. superl. of of, off. See After. ] (Naut.) Near or towards the stern of a vessel; astern; abaft. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ AS. æfter after, behind; akin to Goth. aftaro, aftra, backwards, Icel. aptr, Sw. and Dan. efter, OHG. aftar behind, Dutch and LG. achter, Gr. 'apwte`rw further off. The ending -ter is an old comparative suffix, in E. generally -ther (as in other), and after is a compar. of of, off. √194. See Of; cf. Aft. ] 1. Next; later in time; subsequent; succeeding; as, an after period of life. Marshall. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In this sense the word is sometimes needlessly combined with the following noun, by means of a hyphen, as, after-ages, after-act, after-days, after-life. For the most part the words are properly kept separate when after has this meaning. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hinder; nearer the rear. (Naut.) To ward the stern of the ship; -- applied to any object in the rear part of a vessel; as the after cabin, after hatchway. It is often combined with its noun; as, after-bowlines, after-braces, after-sails, after-yards, those on the mainmasts and mizzenmasts. [ 1913 Webster ]

After body (Naut.), the part of a ship abaft the dead flat, or middle part. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. 1. Behind in place; as, men in line one after another. “Shut doors after you.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Below in rank; next to in order. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Codrus after Ph&unr_;bus sings the best. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Later in time; subsequent; as, after supper, after three days. It often precedes a clause. Formerly that was interposed between it and the clause. [ 1913 Webster ]

After I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. Matt. xxvi. 32. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Subsequent to and in consequence of; as, after what you have said, I shall be careful. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Subsequent to and notwithstanding; as, after all our advice, you took that course. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Moving toward from behind; following, in search of; in pursuit of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ye shall not go after other gods. Deut. vi. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

After whom is the king of Israel come out? 1 Sam. xxiv. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to; as, to look after workmen; to inquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. In imitation of; in conformity with; after the manner of; as, to make a thing after a model; a picture after Rubens; the boy takes after his father. [ 1913 Webster ]

To name or
call after, to name like and reference to. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our eldest son was named George after his uncle. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. According to; in accordance with; in conformity with the nature of; as, he acted after his kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes. Isa. xi. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. Rom. viii. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He takes greatness of kingdoms according to bulk and currency, and not after their intrinsic value. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

After all, when everything has been considered; upon the whole. --
After (with the same noun preceding and following), as, wave after wave, day after day, several or many (waves, etc.) successively. --
One after another, successively. --
To be after, to be in pursuit of in order to reach or get; as, he is after money. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Subsequently in time or place; behind; afterward; as, he follows after. [ 1913 Webster ]

It was about the space of three hours after. Acts. v. 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ After is prefixed to many words, forming compounds, but retaining its usual signification. The prefix may be adverbial, prepositional, or adjectival; as in after- described, after-dinner, after-part. The hyphen is sometimes needlessly used to connect the adjective after with its noun. See Note under After, a., 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) The placenta and membranes with which the fetus is connected, when they are expelled from the womb after delivery. [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

n. A throw of dice after the game in ended; hence, anything done too late. Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An unexpected subsequent event; something disagreeable happening after an affair is supposed to be at an end. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A second crop or harvest in the same year. Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

An irrespirable gas, remaining after an explosion of fire damp in mines; choke damp. See Carbonic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The time just after dinner. “An after-dinner's sleep.” Shak. [ Obs. ] -- a. Following dinner; post-prandial; as, an after-dinner nap. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Aftergrass. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To look after. [ Poetic ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A second game; hence, a subsequent scheme or expedient. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aftergame at Irish, an ancient game very nearly resembling backgammon. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A glow of refulgence in the western sky after sunset. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The grass that grows after the first crop has been mown; aftermath. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A second growth or crop, or (metaphorically) development. J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) The seaman or seamen stationed on the poop or after part of the ship, to attend the after-sails. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The impression of a vivid sensation retained by the retina of the eye after the cause has been removed; also extended to impressions left of tones, smells, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. The last milk drawn in milking; strokings. [ Obs. ] Grose. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ After + math. See Math. ] A second moving; the grass which grows after the first crop of hay in the same season; rowen. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Mentioned afterwards; as, persons after-mentioned (in a writing). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. superl. [ OE. eftemest, AS. æftemest, akin to Gothic aftumist and aftuma, the last, orig. a superlative of of, with the superlative endings -te, -me, -st. ] 1. Hindmost; -- opposed to foremost. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) Nearest the stern; most aft. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The part of the day which follows noon, between noon and evening. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mus.) One of the small notes occur on the unaccented parts of the measure, taking their time from the preceding note. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. (Med.) The pains which succeed childbirth, as in expelling the afterbirth. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A piece performed after a play, usually a farce or other small entertainment. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) The heel of a rudder. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. (Naut.) The sails on the mizzenmast, or on the stays between the mainmast and mizzenmast. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. outside regular school hours. a special after-school class [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Psychol.) A sensation or sense impression following the removal of a stimulus producing a primary sensation, and reproducing the primary sensation in positive, negative, or complementary form. The aftersensation may be continuous with the primary sensation or follow it after an interval. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. (Zool.) The hypoptilum. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. having an aftershaft (a small feather at the base of some feathers) [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. same as after-shave lotion.
Syn. -- after-shave lotion [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 a fragrant lotion for a man's face after shaving.
Syn. -- after-shave [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A taste which remains in the mouth after eating or drinking. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Reflection after an act; later or subsequent thought. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. an action taken after another action and related to the first action, which would normally or optimally be done along with the first action; -- as, to do something as an afterthought. [ PJC ]

3. a feature or part added to a device, not thought of in its original design. [ PJC ]

{ } adv. [ AS. æfteweard, a., behind. See Aft, and -ward (suffix). The final s in afterwards is adverbial, orig. a genitive ending. ] At a later or succeeding time. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Wise after the event; wise or knowing, when it is too late. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Wisdom or perception that comes after it can be of use. “After-wit comes too late when the mischief is done.” L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Characterized by after-wit; slow-witted. Tyndale. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Naut.) Nearest the stern. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. (Naut.) Toward the stern. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. sing. & pl. Any vehicle, such as an airplane, helicopter, balloon, etc., for floating in, or flying through, the air. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

n. 1. 1 a noncommissioned officer in the British Royal Air Force. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

A passage, usually vertical, for admitting fresh air into a mine or a tunnel. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + loft, which properly meant air. See Loft. ] 1. On high; in the air; high above the ground. “He steers his flight aloft.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) In the top; at the mast head, or on the higher yards or rigging; overhead; hence (Fig. and Colloq.), in or to heaven. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. Above; on top of. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Fresh waters run aloft the sea. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. designed for or used for defense against attack by aircraft; as, anti-aircraft cannon. [ PJC ]