astern

comparative more astern · superlative most astern

1. nauticalBehind (a vessel); in the rear.

   After we had row'd, or rather driven about a League and a Half, as we reckon'd it, a raging Wave, Mountain-like, came rowling a-stern of us, and plainly bad us expect the Coup-de-Grace.

   1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 50

2. nauticalIn the direction of the stern; backward (motion); to the rear.
3. obsoleterarenauticalAt or toward the rear of a vessel.

1. not comparablenauticalBehind a vessel; having a bearing of 180 degrees from ahead.

   If one ship is following another, the first is astern of the second.

   5 more examples

   When we first espied the Dutch fleet sailing towards us, our whole blue squadron was astern much farther from us, so that Prince Rupert thought it absolutely necessary to slacken sail that they might have time to join us.

   1838, M. Guizot, edited by J. Stuart Wortley, Memoirs of George Monk, Duke of Albemarle, London: Richard Bentley, page 307

   Every yachtsman knows that if the ballast of a ship be too afore or too astern.

   1872, Hunt's Yachting Magazine, volume 21, page 288

   The chief engineer's evidence of the S.S. Lennox was the best given; but, as will be seen, he asserted that from the orders he received the Lennox's course was more astern than ahead.

   1883, Lieutenant J. Menteith Brebner, RETURN WRECKS AND CASUALTIES IN INDIAN WATERS, page 140

   but when near Cape Palmas the wind will perhaps be more astern

   1883, Alexander George Findlay, A Sailing Directory for the Ethiopic Or South Atlantic Ocean

   The galley fire was lighted; coffee was boiled; the sun shone brightly, and the ship astern was coming up fast.

   1901, W. Clark Russell, The Ship's Adventure, Westminster: Archibald Constable, page 304

1. nauticalBehind (a vessel); in the rear.

   […]to “troll” is here defined as fishing “by towing lines astern a vessel”.

   2002 June 15, Bob Hicks, Messing About in Boats, Volume 20, Number 3

   2 more examples

   […]a flock of eight appeared, and alighting on a rope astern the ship, remained there for nearly an hour

   1841, XVII.—Notice of Migratory Birds Which Alighted On, or Were Seen From, H.M.S. Beacon, Capt. Graves, on the Passage From Malta to the Morea at the End of April 1841

   I watched the soft folds of metallic satin rolling in ever widening furls astern the boat.

   1948, Roy Wall, The Contemplative Angler