ABACK
What does "ABACK" mean?
Toward the back; now used almost only in the phrase 'taken aback', meaning startled.
Meanings
- Startled or disconcerted, almost always in the idiom 'taken aback'. She was taken aback by how bluntly he answered.
- Of a sail: pressed back against the mast by a head wind, stalling the ship. A sudden gust laid the topsails aback and the schooner lost way. technical
- Backward; in or toward the rear. He started aback at the sight of the snake. archaic
Word origin
From Old English 'on bæc' meaning 'on the back' or 'backward', later contracted to the single word 'aback'.
Remember it
A-BACK = 'a' step BACK: that's the flinch of being taken aback.
A little poem
The wind reversed and struck the sail,
the whole ship stalled, the canvas pale -
so a single word can halt a tale.
tercet
Wordplay
- The sailor was taken aback - which, for a sailor, is just bad steering with extra feelings.
What it teaches
Surprise is just the wind hitting your sails from a direction you forgot to watch.
Quick facts
What does ABACK mean?
Toward the back; now used almost only in the phrase 'taken aback', meaning startled.
Is ABACK a valid word?
Yes — ABACK is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is ABACK?
ABACK has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does ABACK come from?
From Old English 'on bæc' meaning 'on the back' or 'backward', later contracted to the single word 'aback'.
What can ABACK teach us?
Surprise is just the wind hitting your sails from a direction you forgot to watch.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.