Fore-and-aft describes things that run lengthwise on a ship, from the front (bow) to the back (stern), rather than side to side. On a sailing ship, fore-and-aft sails are rigged to catch wind along the length of the boat, like the triangular sails you see on many modern sailboats. These sails can be adjusted to work with winds coming from different directions, making them more versatile than the old square sails that hung across the width of the ship.

Square-rigged ships, like the tall ships used by Columbus or pirates in movies, worked best with wind blowing from behind to move efficiently. But fore-and-aft rigged ships changed sailing because they could tack back and forth, zigzagging into the wind to reach destinations even when the wind wasn't cooperating. This made them faster and more maneuverable.

You might also hear about a fore-and-aft rig (the arrangement of these sails) or see the term describing other ship features that run lengthwise, like a deck or a cabin layout.