aftermost, a.
(ˈɑːftəməst, æ-, -məʊst)
Forms: 1 æftemest, 2 eftemest, 4 aftermest, 8– aftermost.
[In form a treble superlative of af-; thus af-te, afte-me (Goth. aftuma), afteme-st (OE. æftemest, Goth. aftumist), with a comparative ending inserted in the later af-te(r)-me-st. But in OE. afte existed only in the adv. form æftan (see aft) with positive value; *æfteme (cf. forme, hindeme) is not found; and æftemest was treated as a superlative of æftere adj., and used both of time and space. Hence the corruption aftermest found already in 12th c.; then the word is unknown for 6 centuries, and the modern aftermost may be a new formation on aft, after, on analogy of foremost, hindermost, etc.: see -most.]
† 1. Hindmost, last in order. Obs.
| c 880 ælfred Oros. iv. 6 Ðonne he sylf mid ðam fyrmestan dǽle wið ðæs æftemestan fluᵹe. c 1000 ælfric O.T. 31 Ðeos bóc is æftemest on ðære biblioþécan. |
† 2. Of time: Last. Obs.
| c 1000 O.E. Gosp. John vii. 37 On þam æftemestan mæran freolsdæᵹe. c 1160 Hatton Gosp. ibid., On þam after-mesten mæren freolsdæᵹe. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 23 And elch man heren his dom bi eftemeste erdede. |
3. Naut. Nearest the stern of the ship, most aft.
| 1773 J. Hawkesworth Voy. (T.) I ordered the two foremost and two aftermost guns to be thrown overboard. 1834 M. Scott Cruise of Midge (1863) 63 We found a cluster of people at the aftermost part of the felucca. |