In a state of blowing or motion from wind; catching the wind (archaic nautical term).
From 'a-' (in state of) + 'blow.' An archaic maritime expression describing wind conditions or sails catching wind. Used primarily in 17th-18th century sailing literature.
Old sailing manuals are full of these poetic state-words: 'ablow,' 'atremble,' 'aflutter'—they're gone from modern English, but watching old sailors describe wind through sails with these words shows how people once had finer vocabulary for nature's movements!
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