At or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane:
— Ships with square sails sail fairly efficiently with the wind abaft.

synonyms: aft, astern.

Roget 235: behind; in the rear, in the background; behind one's back; at the heels of, at the tail of, at the back of; back to back.    after, aft, abaft, astern, sternmost^†, aback, rearward.    ... show more