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aback

The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea | 2006 | Copyright

aback, the situation of the sails of a square-rigged ship when the yards are trimmed to bring the wind to bear on their forward side. Sails are laid aback purposely to stop a ship's way through the water or to assist her in tacking; they are taken aback inadvertently when the ship is brought to by an unexpected change of wind or by the helmsman's lack of attention.

‘Lay all flat aback’ was the order in square-rigged ships to lay all sails aback in order to stop the ship and give her sternway. When lying at a single anchor such ships normally spread a mizzen topsail laid aback to prevent the vessel surging to the anchor and fouling it with her cable.

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aback

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

a·back / əˈbak/ • adv. 1. archaic toward or situated to the rear: the little strip of pasture aback of the house. 2. Sailing with the sail pressed backward against the mast by a headwind. PHRASES: take someone aback shock or surprise someone.

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"aback." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-aback.html

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aback

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

aback late OE. on bæc, i.e. ON, A-1 and BACK1. From XVII of the sails of a ship laid back against the mast, esp. ‘be taken aback’ XVIII; hence fig. (of persons) be discomfited (XIX). Aphetic BACK2.

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T. F. HOAD. "aback." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "aback." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-aback.html

T. F. HOAD. "aback." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-aback.html

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aback

The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military | 2001 | Copyright

aback adv. (of a sail) pressed backward against the mast by a headwind.

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"aback." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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aback

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

aback •aback, alack, attack, back, black, brack, clack, claque, crack, Dirac, drack, flack, flak, hack, jack, Kazakh, knack, lack, lakh, mac, mach, Nagorno-Karabakh, pack, pitchblack, plaque, quack, rack, sac, sack, shack, shellac, slack, smack, snack, stack, tach, tack, thwack, track, vac, wack, whack, wrack, yak, Zack •cardiac • zodiac •haemophiliac (US hemophiliac), necrophiliac, sacroiliac •umiak •bibliomaniac, dipsomaniac, egomaniac, kleptomaniac, maniac, megalomaniac, monomaniac, nymphomaniac, pyromaniac •insomniac • celeriac • Syriac •hypochondriac • Mauriac • theriac •amnesiac •aphrodisiac, Dionysiac •Dayak, kayak •Kerouac • bivouac

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	BROWN SAYS NO TO INDEPENDENCE VOTE; EXCLUSIVE Wendy's job on line as PM is... Newspaper article from: The Mirror (London, England); 5/7/2008
	SOMEWHAT taken aback, your [...].(Features) Newspaper article from: Daily Mail (London); 6/10/2011
	TAKEN ABACK. Newspaper article from: The Mail on Sunday (London, England); 12/7/2003