Associations to the word «Aback»
Wiktionary
ABACK, adverb. (archaic) Towards the back or rear; backwards. [First attested prior to 1150.]
ABACK, adverb. (archaic) In the rear; a distance behind. [First attested prior to 1150.]
ABACK, adverb. By surprise; startled; dumbfounded.
ABACK, adverb. (nautical) Backward against the mast; said of the sails when pressed by the wind from the "wrong" (forward) side, or of a ship when its sails are set that way. [First attested in the late 17th century.]
ABACK, noun. (obsolete) An abacus.
Dictionary definition
ABACK, adverb. Having the wind against the forward side of the sails; "the ship came up into the wind with all yards aback".
ABACK, adverb. By surprise; "taken aback by the caustic remarks".
Wise words
A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is
the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color
and content according to the circumstances and time in which
it is used.