after: Meaning and Definition of
af•ter
Pronunciation: (af'tur, äf'-), [key]
— prep.
- behind in place or position; following behind: men lining up one after the other.
- later in time than; in succession to; at the close of: Tell me after supper. Day after day he came to work late.
- subsequent to and in consequence of: After what has happened, I can never return.
- below in rank or excellence; nearest to: Milton is usually placed after Shakespeare among English poets.
- in imitation of or in imitation of the style of: to make something after a model; fashioned after Raphael.
- in pursuit or search of; with or in desire for: I'm after a better job. Run after him!
- concerning; about: to inquire after a person.
- with the name of; for: He was named after his uncle.
- in proportion to; in accordance with: He was a man after the hopes and expectations of his father.
- 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.
- subsequent to and notwithstanding; in spite of: After all their troubles, they still manage to be optimistic.
- despite what has occurred or been assumed previously; nevertheless: I've discovered I can attend the meeting after all.
—adv.
- behind; in the rear: Jill came tumbling after.
- later in time; afterward: three hours after; happily ever after.
—adj.
- later in time; next; subsequent; succeeding: In after years we never heard from him.
- after hold; after mast.
- farther aft.
- located closest to the stern or tail; aftermost:after hold; after mast.
- including the stern or tail:the after part of a hull.
—conj.
- subsequent to the time that: after the boys left.
—n.
- 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.