Aback
. I was taken aback—I was greatly astonished—taken by surprise—startled. It is a sea term. A ship is “taken aback” when the sails are suddenly carried by the wind back against the mast, instantly staying the ship’s progress—very dangerous in a strong gale.
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Entry taken from
Dictionary of Phrase and Fable,
edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.