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after

adv
/ˈɑːftə/UK/ˈaftə(ɹ)//ˈæftəɹ/CA

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep(o)teros Proto-Germanic *after Old English æfter Middle English after English after From Middle English after, from Old English æfter, from Proto-West Germanic *aftar, from Proto-Germanic *after, *aftiri, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epoteros (“further behind, further away”), from *h₂epo (“off, away”). Cognate with Scots efter (“after”), North Frisian efter (“after, behind”), West Frisian after, achter, efter (“behind; after”), Low German/Dutch achter (“behind”), German after- (“after-”), Swedish/Danish efter (“after”), Norwegian Nynorsk/Norwegian Bokmål etter (“after”), Icelandic eftir (“after”), aftur (“back, again”). The Irish usage to indicate recent completion of an activity is a calque of the Irish collocation Táim tar éis... (“I have just...”, literally “I am after...”).

  1. inherited from *h₂epo✻ — “further behind, further away”
  2. inherited from *after✻
  3. inherited from *aftar✻
  4. inherited from æfter
  5. inherited from after

Definitions

  1. Behind

    Behind; later in time; following.

    • I left the room, and the dog bounded after.
    • They lived happily ever after.
    • I might come next month, or the month after.

  2. Subsequently to

    Subsequently to; following in time; later than.

    • We had a few beers after the game.
    • The time is a quarter after eight.
    • The Cold War began shortly after WWII.

  3. Behind.

    • He will leave a trail of destruction after him.
    • I told her to shut the door after her.
    • Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,[…], and the light of the reflector fell full upon her.
  4. ›+ 10 more definitions

    1. In pursuit of, seeking.

      • He’s after a job; run after him; inquire after her health.

    2. In allusion to, in imitation of

      In allusion to, in imitation of; following or referencing.

      • We named him after his grandfather.
      • This painting is after Leonardo da Vinci.
      • Work your horse in a calade, after the Italian way; ride him straight, and then you make good use of the calade.

    3. Below, often next below, in importance or rank.

      • The princess is next in line to the throne after the prince.

    4. Denoting the aim or object

      Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to.

      • to look after workmen; to enquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness

    5. According to (an author or text).

    6. According to the direction and influence of

      According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting.

      • He takes greatness of kingdoms according to bulk and currency, and not after their intrinsic value.

    7. Signifies that the action of the clause it starts takes place before the action of the…

      Signifies that the action of the clause it starts takes place before the action of the other clause.

      • The show ends after the fat lady sings.
      • After we had decided to call it a day, I went home.
      • It is never possible to settle down to the ordinary routine of life at sea until the screw begins to revolve. There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.

    8. Later

      Later; second (of two); next, following, subsequent

      • I did verily believe in my own mind, that I couldn't fight in that way at all; but my after experience convinced me that this was all a notion.
      • The amends he had made in after life were lost sight of in the dramatic glare of the original act.

    9. At or towards the stern of a ship or the rear of an aircraft.

      • The after gun is mounted aft.
      • The after gun is abaft the forward gun.
      • The aircraft provided an after cabin for two radar operators.

    10. Of before-and-after images

      Of before-and-after images: the one that shows the difference after a specified treatment.

      • Did any of the before pictures remind you of yourself, and did any of the afters show what you hoped your results might be?

The neighborhood

Derived

accessary after the fact, accessory after the fact, a day after the fair, after a fashion, after all, after all is said and done, after a while, after dark, after-five, after hours, after image journal, after me the deluge, afternoon, after one's own heart, after one's own soul, after Saturday comes Sunday, after school special, after the fact, after the jump, after the Lord Mayor's show, after us the deluge, after-work, after you, before and after, close the barn door after the horse has bolted, close the stable door after the horse has been stolen, close the stable door after the horse has bolted, day after day, day after tomorrow, fish and company stink after three days, go after, it is easy to be wise after the event, letters after one's name, life after death, like a dog after a bone, lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen, lock the stable door after the horse has bolted, morning after the night before, night after night, one after another · +38 more

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for after. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA