▪ I. astern, adv. (prep.), orig. phr. Naut.
(əˈstɜːn)
[f. a prep.1 + stern, the hinder part of a ship.]
A. adv.
1. Of position: In or at the stern.
| 1675 Hobbes Odyss. 61 Then he astern sate down and governed. a 1826 Hood Wee Man x, Good sir, you must not sit a-stern, The wave will else come in. |
2. Hence, in the rear, behind (at any distance).
| 1627 Smith Seaman's Gram. ix. 45 To lay an anchor..ahead, and another asterne. 1692 Lond. Gaz. No. 2811/3 The Rupert being about a mile a-stern. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 350 A gale of wind right astern. 1845 Darwin Voy. Nat. iii. (1879) 43 They made all sail..and soon left the horse astern. |
b. astern of: in the rear of (a ship).
| 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 3 A Barbarian man of warre..came asterne of us. 1707 Luttrell Brief Rel. VI. 168 One of the biggest..men of war..sunk down a stern of him. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. i. 3 Keeping halt his boat's length astern of the other boat. |
3. Of motion: To the rear, backward; stern foremost. Said of a ship or boat.
| 1681 Lond. Gaz. 1628/1 Soon after the Algerine fell a stern. 1857 Emerson Poems 29, I, Alphonso, live and learn, Seeing Nature go astern. 1858 J. Mansfield in Merc. Mar. Mag. V. 19 She came round with head to wind, when she backed astern. |
B. prep. At the stern or rear of (a ship).
| 1675 Hobbes Odyss. 150 Dolon's spoils astern his ship he plac'd. |
▪ II. astern
var. austerne, obs. f. austere.