Aftmost

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Located at the very back end or rear of a ship or an aircraft
2. Positioned at the extreme rearward part of a vessel or plane
3. Situated in the most backward section of a seafaring or flying craft

Etymology: "Aftmost" is a straightforward compound: "aft" joined to the superlative suffix "-most". "Aft," meaning toward the back of a ship or toward the rear generally, is the older element, and it is the root of the word's meaning. The "-most" ending is what turns the sense into "furthest" in that direction. The suffix itself has a longer history than the word. It developed from Old English "-mest," which was built on the Germanic superlative ending "-istaz," and it was a regular way of forming superlatives in the language, as in "foremost" and "uttermost." English speakers could therefore attach "-most" to almost any directional word, and "aftmost" follows that pattern exactly. It is a plain coinage in that sense, with no single inventor or memorable episode behind it.

Synonyms: rear, backmost

Antonyms: foremost, front