Dictionary


a•back



Pronunciation: (u-bak'), [key]
—adv.
1. toward the back.
2. Naut.so that the wind presses against the forward side of the sail or sails.
3. taken aback, surprised and disconcerted: I was taken aback by his harsh criticism.

—adj. Naut.
1. (of a sail) positioned so that the wind presses against the forward side.
2. (of a yard) positioned so that its sail is laid aback.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

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