take aback

Etymology
From +, see the two entries for their respective etymology.

Verb

 * 1)  To surprise or shock; to discomfit.
 * 2)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.
 * 1)  Of a ship: to catch it with the sails aback suddenly.

Usage notes

 * Most commonly found in the passive voice.
 * Aback is an adverb, so take aback is a separable phrasal verb.
 * The use of the word take implies that the action is happening unexpectedly or against one's will. The sails of a ship are said to be taken aback by a change in the relative direction of the wind, but they are laid aback purposely by the crew. Likewise, someone may say he was taken aback when surprised.

Translations

 * Bulgarian: ,
 * Czech:
 * Esperanto:
 * Finnish: ,
 * German:
 * Greek:
 * Haitian Creole: souke
 * Irish: bain siar as
 * Italian: cogliere di sorpresa, prendere alla sprovvista
 * Polish: zbić z tropu
 * Portuguese: ,
 * Russian:, , захва́тывать враспло́х, заста́ть враспло́х
 * Scottish Gaelic: cuir iongnadh air
 * Serbo-Croatian:
 * Roman:, , ,
 * Spanish: agarrar en curva,, , , dejar pasmado, dejar estupefacto, agarrar de sorpresa


 * Finnish: joutua vastatuuleen
 * Maori: pūawhe