|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
aback
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. |
|
|
Cite this article
"aback." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "aback." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-aback.html "aback." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-aback.html |
|
aback
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. |
|
|
Cite this article
"aback." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "aback." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-aback.html "aback." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-aback.html |
|
aback
|
|
|
Cite this article
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 |
|
aback
aback adv. (of a sail) pressed backward against the mast by a headwind.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"aback." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "aback." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-aback.html "aback." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-aback.html |
|
aback
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
|
|
|
Cite this article
"aback." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "aback." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-aback.html "aback." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-aback.html |
|