astern
- r stern foremost or backward
the steamer went astern at half speed - r at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
the captain looked astern to see what the fuss was about - r (of a ship or an airplane) behind
we dropped her astern on the end of a seven-inch manilla, and she laid comfortably on the ebb tide
- The Greer picked up the U-boat on her detecting apparatus, followed it, keeping astern.
- As the Isle of Wight fell astern, and she glided majestically past the coast of England, the Queen was not only steaming for New York but out of an all but vanished agean age .
- With its net loss of 16 ships, the Navy would appear to be sailing full speed astern in its effort to build a 600-ship fleet.