Definition of "fore and aft" [fore and aft]

• Nautical From the bow of a ship to the stern; lengthwise. (adverb)
• Nautical In, at, or toward both ends of a ship. (adverb)
• In or at the front and back. (adverb)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "There was no deck, as such: the rounded sheer of sides and bows rose smoothly to the top of the hull then fell as smoothly away again, leaving only a very narrow fore and aft working space so treacherous in its slippery convexity that it was permanently railed off in harbor."
• "We split Leo's flight into elements and moved individual flight members fore and aft of the tankers as we headed north and we got the tankers to try and spot the beeper with their direction-finding gear but we couldn't get a valid steer."
• "He led the way up the side-ladder, with two of his fellows fore and aft of me, and others ahead shouting to the people to stand clear; we bustled through them, and I was shown into a small cabin, and bidden to wait."