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Definitions for Back

[1] the rear part of the human body, extending from the neck to the lower end of the spine.
[2] the part of the body of animals corresponding to the human back.
[3] the rear portion of any part of the body: the back of the head.
[4] the whole body, with reference to clothing: the clothes on his back.
[5] ability for labor; effort; endurance: He put his back into the task.
[6] the part opposite to or farthest from the front; the rear part: the back of a hall.
[7] the part that forms the rear of any object or structure: the back of a chair.
[8] the part that covers the back: the back of a jacket.
[9] the spine or backbone: The fall broke his back.
[10] any rear part of an object serving to support, protect, etc.: the back of a binder.
[11] Nautical , Aeronautics . the forward side of a propeller blade (opposed to facedef 20 ).
[12] Aeronautics . the top part or upper surface of an aircraft, especially of its fuselage.
[13] Bookbinding . the edge of a book formed where its sections are bound together.
[14] the backs, grounds along the River Cam in back of certain colleges at Cambridge University in England: noted for their great beauty.
[15] Architecture . extrados.
[16] Carpentry . the upper side of a joist, rafter, handrail, etc. the area of interior wall between a window stool and the floor.
[17] Mining . the roof of a stope or drift.
[18] Sports . a player whose regular position is behind that of players who make initial contact with the opposing team, as behind the forward line in football or nearest the player's own goal in polo. the position occupied by this player.
[19] to support, as with authority, influence, help, or money (often followed by up ): to back a candidate; to back up a theory with facts.
[20] to bet on: to back a horse in the race.
[21] to cause to move backward (often followed by up ): to back a car.
[22] to furnish with a back: to back a book.
[23] to lie at the back of; form a back or background for: a beach backed by hills.
[24] to provide with an accompaniment: a singer backed by piano and bass.
[25] to get upon the back of; mount.
[26] to write or print on the back of; endorse; countersign.
[27] Carpentry . to attach strips of wood to the upper edge of (a joist or rafter) to bring it to a desired level.
[28] Nautical . to alter the position of (a sail) so that the wind will strike the forward face. to brace (yards) in backing a sail. to reinforce the hold of (an anchor) by means of a smaller one attached to it and dropped farther away.
[29] to go or move backward (often followed by up ).
[30] Nautical . (of wind) to change direction counterclockwise (opposed to veer).
[31] situated at or in the rear: at the back door; back fence.
[32] far away or removed from the front or main area, position, or rank; remote: back settlements.
[33] belonging to the past: back files; back issues.
[34] in arrears; overdue: back pay.
[35] coming or going back; moving backward: back current.
[36] Navigation . reciprocal(def 7) .
[37] Phonetics . (of a speech sound) produced with the tongue articulating in the back part of the mouth, as in either of the sounds of go.
[38] back away , to retreat; withdraw: They gradually began to back away from their earlier opinion.
[39] back down , to abandon an argument, opinion, or claim; withdraw; retreat: He backed down as soon as a member of the audience challenged his assertion.
[40] back off , to back down: Now that the time for action had arrived, it was too late to back off. Textiles . to reverse (the spindle) in mule spinning prior to winding on the newly spun length of yarn.
[41] back out (of) , to fail to keep an engagement or promise; withdraw from; abandon: Two entrants have backed out of competing in the marathon. You can't back out now.
[42] back up , to bring (a stream of traffic) to a standstill: A stalled car backed up traffic for miles. Printing . to print a sheet again on its other side. Printing . to fill in (the thin copper shell of an electrotype) with metal in order to strengthen it. to move backward: Back up into the garage. to reinforce: We backed up the cardboard with slats so it wouldn't fall down. to support or confirm: He backed up my story and they let us go. Computers . to duplicate (a file or a program) as a precaution against failure.
[43] back up for , Australian Informal . to return for more of, as another helping of food.
[44] back and fill , Nautical . to trim the sails of a boat so that the wind strikes them first on the forward and then on the after side. to change one's opinion or position; vacillate.
[45] back and forth , South Midland U.S. to go back and forth, as in running errands or visiting: He spent the day backing and forthing to the post office. to work in an aimless or ineffective way; expend effort with little result.
[46] back water , Nautical . to reverse the direction of a vessel. to retreat from a position; withdraw an opinion: I predict that the council will back water on the tax issue.
[47] be flat on one's back , to be helpless or beaten: He's flat on his back after a long succession of failures. to be confined to one's bed because of illness.
[48] behind one's back , in one's absence; without one's knowledge; treacherously; secretly: I'd rather talk to him about it directly than discuss it behind his back.
[49] break someone's back , to cause a person to fail, especially to cause to become bankrupt: His family's extravagance is breaking his back.
[50] break the back of , to complete the principal or hardest part of (a project, one's work, etc.): He finally broke the back of the problem. to overcome; defeat: They broke the back of our union.
[51] get off one's back , Informal . to cease to find fault with or to disturb someone: The fight started when they wouldn't get off my back.
[52] get one's back up , Informal . to become annoyed; take offense: She gets her back up whenever someone mentions her family's influence.
[53] get /have /watch someone’s back , Informal . to help and protect someone if necessary, especially in a time of trouble: If he needs anything, I hope he knows I’ve got his back. Also have got someone's back .
[54] have one's back to the wall , to be in a difficult or hopeless situation.
[55] in back of , behind: He hid in back of the billboard. What could be in back of his strange behavior? Also back of.
[56] on one's back , Informal . finding fault with or disturbing someone: The boss is always on my back about promptness.
[57] pat on the back . pat1(defs 9, 11) .
[58] a stab in the back . stab(def 12) .
[59] stab (someone) in the back . stab(def 13) .
[60] turn one's back on , to forsake or neglect: He was unable to turn his back on any suffering creature. to leave behind, as in anger.
[61] at, to, or toward the rear; backward: to step back.
[62] in or toward the past: to look back on one's youth; They met in Chicago back in 1976.
[63] at or toward the original starting point, place, or condition: to go back to the old neighborhood.
[64] in direct payment or return: to pay back a loan; to answer back.
[65] in a state of restraint or retention: to hold back the tears; to hold back salary.
[66] in a reclining position: to lean back; to lie back.
[67] go back on , to be treacherous or faithless to; betray: to go back on friends. to fail to keep; renege on: to go back on promises.
[68] a large tub, vat, or cistern used by dyers, brewers, distillers, etc., to hold liquids.
[69] a broad-beamed ferryboat hauled across a body of water by a rope or chain.
[70] the posterior part of the human body, extending from the neck to the pelvis Related adjective: dorsal
[71] the corresponding or upper part of an animal
[72] the spinal column
[73] the part or side of an object opposite the front
[74] the part or side of anything less often seen or used the back of a carpet ; the back of a knife
[75] the part or side of anything that is furthest from the front or from a spectator the back of the stage
[76] the convex part of something the back of a hill ; the back of a ship
[77] something that supports, covers, or strengthens the rear of an object
[78] ball games a mainly defensive player behind a forward the position of such a player
[79] the part of a book to which the pages are glued or that joins the covers
[80] mining the side of a passage or layer nearest the surface the earth between that level and the next
[81] the upper surface of a joist, rafter, slate, tile, etc, when in position Compare bed (def. 13)
[82] at one's back behind, esp in support or pursuit
[83] at the back of one's mind not in one's conscious thoughts
[84] behind one's back without one's knowledge; secretly or deceitfully
[85] break one's back to overwork or work very hard
[86] break the back of to complete the greatest or hardest part of (a task)
[87] on one's back or flat on one's back incapacitated, esp through illness
[88] get off someone's back informal to stop criticizing or pestering someone
[89] have on one's back to be burdened with
[90] on someone's back informal criticizing or pestering someone
[91] put one's back into to devote all one's strength to (a task)
[92] put someone's back up or get someone's back up to annoy someone
[93] see the back of to be rid of
[94] back of beyond the back of beyond a very remote place Australian in such a place (esp in the phrase out back of beyond )
[95] turn one's back on to turn away from in anger or contempt to refuse to help; abandon
[96] with one's back to the wall in a difficult or desperate situation
[97] (also intr) to move or cause to move backwards
[98] to provide support, money, or encouragement for (a person, enterprise, etc)
[99] to bet on the success of to back a horse
[100] to provide with a back, backing, or lining
[101] to provide with a music accompaniment a soloist backed by an orchestra
[102] to provide a background for; be at the back of mountains back the town
[103] to countersign or endorse
[104] archaic to mount the back of
[105] (intr; foll by on or onto) to have the back facing (towards) the house backs onto a river
[106] (intr) (of the wind) to change direction in an anticlockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and a clockwise direction in the southern See veer 1 (def. 3a)
[107] nautical to position (a sail) so that the wind presses on its opposite side
[108] back and fill nautical to manoeuvre the sails by alternately filling and emptying them of wind to navigate in a narrow place to vacillate in one's opinion
[109] situated behind a back lane
[110] of the past back issues of a magazine
[111] owing from an earlier date back rent
[112] mainly US , Australian and NZ remote back country
[113] (of a road) not direct
[114] moving in a backward direction back current
[115] phonetics of, relating to, or denoting a vowel articulated with the tongue retracted towards the soft palate, as for the vowels in English hard, fall, hot, full, fool
[116] at, to, or towards the rear; away from something considered to be the front; backwards; behind
[117] in, to, or towards the original starting point, place, or condition to go back home ; put the book back ; my headache has come back
[118] in or into the past to look back on one's childhood
[119] in reply, repayment, or retaliation to hit someone back ; pay back a debt ; to answer back
[120] in check the dam holds back the water
[121] in concealment; in reserve to keep something back ; to hold back information
[122] back and forth to and fro
[123] back to front in reverse in disorder
[124] a large tub or vat, esp one used by brewers

Words related to Back

backward, tail, rear, assist, finance, uphold, advocate, favor, encourage, sponsor, endorse, withdraw, behind, rearward, posterior, hind, following, final, past, delayed

Words nearby Back

bacillus calmette-guérin, bacillus cereus, bacillus sphaericus, bacillus thuringiensis, bacitracin, back, back against the wall, back alley, back anchor, back and fill, back and forth

Origin of Back

31685–95; < Dutch bak tub, trough < Late Latin bacca water container; compare French bac ferryboat, punt. See basin

Words that may be confused with Back

back, up, backup

Other words from Back

back·less , adjective

Word origin for Back

C17: from Dutch bak tub, cistern, from Old French bac , from Vulgar Latin bacca (unattested) vessel for liquids

Synonyms for Back

backward, behind, final, following, hind, posterior, rear, rearward, tail, aback, abaft, aft, after, astern, back of, hindmost, in the wake of, rearmost