fore-and-aft·er (fôr??n-?f?t?r)n. A sailing ship, such as a schooner, with a fore-and-aft rig.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.fore-and-after n 1. (Nautical Terms) any vessel with a fore-and-aft rig 2. (Nautical Terms) a double-ended vessel Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014