Dictionary
af•ter
Pronunciation: (af'tur, äf'-), [key]—
prep.
1. behind in place or position; following behind:
men lining up one after the other.
2. later in time than; in succession to; at the close of:
Tell me after supper. Day after day he came to work late.
3. subsequent to and in consequence of:
After what has happened, I can never return.
4. below in rank or excellence; nearest to:
Milton is usually placed after Shakespeare among English poets.
5. in imitation of or in imitation of the style of:
to make something after a model; fashioned after Raphael.
6. in pursuit or search of; with or in desire for:
I'm after a better job. Run after him!
7. concerning; about:
to inquire after a person.
8. with the name of; for:
He was named after his uncle.
9. in proportion to; in accordance with:
He was a man after the hopes and expectations of his father.
10. according to the nature of; in conformity with; in agreement or unison with:
He was a man after my own heart. He swore after the manner of his faith.
11. subsequent to and notwithstanding; in spite of:
After all their troubles, they still manage to be optimistic.
12. after all, despite what has occurred or been assumed previously; nevertheless:
I've discovered I can attend the meeting after all.
—
adv.
1. behind; in the rear:
Jill came tumbling after.
2. later in time; afterward:
three hours after; happily ever after.
—
adj.
1. later in time; next; subsequent; succeeding:
In after years we never heard from him.
2. Naut., Aeron.
a. farther aft.
b. located closest to the stern or tail; aftermost:
after hold; after mast.
c. including the stern or tail:
the after part of a hull.
—
conj.
subsequent to the time that:
after the boys left.
—
n.
afters, Brit. Informal.the final course of a meal, as pudding, ice cream, or the like; dessert.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
