back

¹

[bak]

noun

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 or strength.

   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 area directly behind a person.

   Face the town with the river at your back and follow the main street up the hill.

9. the part that covers the back.

   the back of a jacket.

10. the spine or backbone.

    The fall broke his back.

11. any rear part of an object serving to support, protect, etc..

    the back of a binder.

12. Nautical, Aeronautics.,  the forward side of a propeller blade (face, ).

13. Aeronautics.,  the top part or upper surface of an aircraft, especially of its fuselage.

14. Bookbinding.,  the edge of a book formed where its sections are bound together.

15. the backs, grounds along the River Cam in back of certain colleges at Cambridge University in England: noted for their great beauty.

16. Architecture.,  extrados.

17. Carpentry.

    1. the upper side of a joist, rafter, handrail, etc.

    2. the area of interior wall between a window stool and the floor.

18. Mining.,  the roof of a stope or drift.

19. Sports.

    1. 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.

    2. the position occupied by this player.

verb (used with object)

1. to support, as with authority, influence, help, or money (often followed byup ).

   to back a candidate;

   to back up a theory with facts.

   Synonyms: endorse, countenance, assist, favor, abet, sustain

2. to bet on.

   to back a horse in the race.

3. to cause to move backward (often followed byup ).

   to back a car.

4. to furnish with a back.

   to back a book.

5. to lie at the back of; form a back or background for.

   a beach backed by hills.

6. to provide with an accompaniment.

   a singer backed by piano and bass.

7. to get upon the back of; mount.

8. to write or print on the back of; endorse; countersign.

9. Carpentry.,  to attach strips of wood to the upper edge of (a joist or rafter) to bring it to a desired level.

10. Nautical.

    1. to alter the position of (a sail) so that the wind will strike the forward face.

    2. to brace (yards) in backing a sail.

    3. to reinforce the hold of (an anchor) by means of a smaller one attached to it and dropped farther away.

verb (used without object)

1. to go or move backward (often followed byup ).

   Synonyms: withdraw, retreat, retire

2. Nautical.,  (of wind) to change direction counterclockwise (veer ).

adjective

1. situated at or in the rear.

   at the back door;

   back fence.

   Antonyms: front

2. far away or removed from the front or main area, position, or rank; remote.

   back settlements.

3. belonging to the past.

   back files;

   back issues.

4. in arrears; overdue.

   back pay.

5. coming or going back; moving backward.

   back current.

6. Navigation.,  reciprocal.

7. 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.

verb phrase

1. 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.

2. back away,  to retreat; withdraw.

   They gradually began to back away from their earlier opinion.

3. back off

   1. to back down.

      Now that the time for action had arrived, it was too late to back off.

   2. Textiles.,  to reverse (the spindle) in mule spinning prior to winding on the newly spun length of yarn.

4. back up

   1. to bring (a stream of traffic) to a standstill.

      A stalled car backed up traffic for miles.

   2. Printing.,  to print a sheet again on its other side.

   3. Printing.,  to fill in (the thin copper shell of an electrotype) with metal in order to strengthen it.

   4. to move backward.

      Back up into the garage.

   5. to reinforce.

      We backed up the cardboard with slats so it wouldn't fall down.

   6. to support or confirm.

      He backed up my story and they let us go.

   7. Computers.,  to duplicate (a file or a program) as a precaution against failure.

5. back out (of),  to fail to keep an engagement or promise; withdraw from; abandon: You can't back out now.

   Two entrants have backed out of competing in the marathon.

   You can't back out now.

6. back up for,  to return for more of, as another helping of food.

back

²

[bak]

adverb

1. at, to, or toward the rear; backward.

   to step back.

2. in or toward the past.

   to look back on one's youth; They met in Chicago back in 1976.

3. at or toward the original starting point, place, or condition.

   to go back to the old neighborhood.

4. in direct payment or return.

   to pay back a loan; to answer back.

5. in a state of restraint or retention.

   to hold back the tears; to hold back salary.

6. in a reclining position.

   to lean back; to lie back.

verb phrase

1. go back on

   1. to be treacherous or faithless to; betray.

      to go back on friends.

   2. to fail to keep; renege on.

      to go back on promises.

back

³

[bak]

noun

1. a large tub, vat, or cistern used by dyers, brewers, distillers, etc., to hold liquids.

2. a broad-beamed ferryboat hauled across a body of water by a rope or chain.

back

¹

/ bæk /

noun

1. the posterior part of the human body, extending from the neck to the pelvis

2. the corresponding or upper part of an animal

3. the spinal column

4. the part or side of an object opposite the front

5. the part or side of anything less often seen or used

   the back of a carpet

   the back of a knife

6. the part or side of anything that is furthest from the front or from a spectator

   the back of the stage

7. the convex part of something

   the back of a hill

   the back of a ship

8. something that supports, covers, or strengthens the rear of an object

9. ball games

   1. a mainly defensive player behind a forward

   2. the position of such a player

10. the part of a book to which the pages are glued or that joins the covers

11. mining

    1. the side of a passage or layer nearest the surface

    2. the earth between that level and the next

12. the upper surface of a joist, rafter, slate, tile, etc, when in position Compare bed

13. behind, esp in support or pursuit

14. not in one's conscious thoughts

15. without one's knowledge; secretly or deceitfully

16. to overwork or work very hard

17. to complete the greatest or hardest part of (a task)

18. incapacitated, esp through illness

19. informal,  to stop criticizing or pestering someone

20. to be burdened with

21. informal,  criticizing or pestering someone

22. to devote all one's strength to (a task)

23. to annoy someone

24. to be rid of

25. 1. a very remote place

    2. in such a place (esp in the phrase out back of beyond )

26. 1. to turn away from in anger or contempt

    2. to refuse to help; abandon

27. in a difficult or desperate situation

verb

1. (also intr) to move or cause to move backwards

2. to provide support, money, or encouragement for (a person, enterprise, etc)

3. to bet on the success of

   to back a horse

4. to provide with a back, backing, or lining

5. to provide with a music accompaniment

   a soloist backed by an orchestra

6. to provide a background for; be at the back of

   mountains back the town

7. to countersign or endorse

8. archaic,  to mount the back of

9. (intr; foll by on or onto) to have the back facing (towards)

   the house backs onto a river

10. (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

11. nautical to position (a sail) so that the wind presses on its opposite side

12. 1. nautical to manoeuvre the sails by alternately filling and emptying them of wind to navigate in a narrow place

    2. to vacillate in one's opinion

adjective

1. situated behind

   a back lane

2. of the past

   back issues of a magazine

3. owing from an earlier date

   back rent

4. remote

   back country

5. (of a road) not direct

6. moving in a backward direction

   back current

7. 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

adverb

1. at, to, or towards the rear; away from something considered to be the front; backwards; behind

2. in, to, or towards the original starting point, place, or condition

   to go back home

   put the book back

   my headache has come back

3. in or into the past

   to look back on one's childhood

4. in reply, repayment, or retaliation

   to hit someone back

   pay back a debt

   to answer back

5. in check

   the dam holds back the water

6. in concealment; in reserve

   to keep something back

   to hold back information

7. to and fro

8. 1. in reverse

   2. in disorder

back

²

/ bæk /

noun

1. a large tub or vat, esp one used by brewers

Usage

Although some object to their use, the phrases in back of and the shorter—and much older— back of with the meaning “behind” are fully established as standard in American English: The car was parked ( in ) back of the house. Both phrases occur in all types of speech and writing.

Other Word Forms

• backless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of back¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bak, Old English bæc “back of the body”; cognate with Old Frisian bek, Old Saxon, Old Norse bak; perhaps from Indo-European bhogo- (unattested) “bending”; bacon

Origin of back²

First recorded in 1480–90; shortening of aback

Origin of back³

First recorded in 1685–95; from Dutch bak “tub, trough,” from Late Latin bacca “water container”; compare French bac “ferryboat, punt”; basin

Word History and Origins

Origin of back¹

Old English bæc ; related to Old Norse bak , Old Frisian bek , Old High German bah

Origin of back²

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. 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.

2. have one's back to the wall, to be in a difficult or hopeless situation.

3. watch one’s back, to be on guard.

   Your assistant is gunning for your job—watch your back!

4. on someone's back, finding fault with or disturbing someone.

   The boss is always on my back about promptness.

5. break someone's back, to cause a person to fail, especially to cause to become bankrupt.

   His family's extravagance is breaking his back.

6. get one's back up, to become annoyed; take offense.

   She gets her back up whenever someone mentions her family's influence.

7. back and fill,

   1. Nautical. to trim the sails of a boat so that the wind strikes them first on the forward and then on the after side.

   2. to change one's opinion or position; vacillate.

8. get / have someone’s back, to help and protect someone if necessary, especially in a time of trouble: Also have got someone's back

   If he needs anything, I hope he knows I’ve got his back.

9. get off one's back, to cease to find fault with or to disturb someone.

   The fight started when they wouldn't get off my back.

10. back water,

    1. Nautical. to reverse the direction of a vessel.

    2. to retreat from a position; withdraw an opinion.

       I predict that the council will back water on the tax issue.

11. back and forth,

    1. to go back and forth, as in running errands or visiting.

       He spent the day back and forthing to the post office.

    2. to work in an aimless or ineffective way; expend effort with little result.

12. turn one's back on,

    1. to forsake or neglect.

       He was unable to turn his back on any suffering creature.

    2. to leave behind, as in anger.

13. stab (someone) in the back. stab.

14. in back of, behind: What could be in back of his strange behavior? Also back of.

    He hid in back of the billboard.

    What could be in back of his strange behavior?

15. pat on the back. pat.

16. a stab in the back. stab.

17. break the back of,

    1. to complete the principal or hardest part of (a project, one's work, etc.).

       He finally broke the back of the problem.

    2. to overcome; defeat.

       They broke the back of our union.

18. be flat on one's back,

    1. to be helpless or beaten.

       He's flat on his back after a long succession of failures.

    2. to be confined to one's bed because of illness.

19. back yonder, formerly; many years ago.

    Back yonder, when I was a boy, things were different.

20. back and forth, from side to side; to and fro; from one to the other.

    The pendulum of the grandfather clock swung back and forth.

More idioms and phrases containing back

• a while back
• behind someone's back
• break one's back
• break the back of
• call back
• choke back
• come back
• cut back
• double back
• draw back
• drop back
• eyes in the back of one's head
• fall back
• fall back on
• fall over (backward)
• flat on one's back
• from way back
• get back
• get one's back up
• give the shirt off one's back
• go back on one's word
• hang back
• hark(en) back
• hold back
• in one's own backyard
• kick back
• knock back
• know like a book (the back of one's hand)
• left-handed (back-handed) compliment
• like water off a duck's back
• look back
• monkey on one's back
• off someone's back
• pat on the back
• pay back in someone's own coin
• pin someone's ears back
• play back
• plow back
• pull back
• put one's back in it
• put one's back up
• roll back
• scratch someone's back
• see the back of
• set back
• set back on one's heels
• set one back
• set the clock back
• sit back
• slap on the back
• snap back
• stab in the back
• take a back seat
• take aback
• take back
• talk back
• think back
• throw back
• turn back
• turn one's back on
• when someone's back is turned
• with one arm tied behind one's back
• you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

Synonym Study

Back, hind, posterior, rear refer to something situated behind something else. Back means the opposite of front: back window. Hind, and the more formal word posterior, suggest the rearmost of two or more often similar objects: hind legs; posterior lobe. Rear is used of buildings, conveyances, etc., and in military language it is the opposite of fore: rear end of a truck; rear echelon.

Example Sentences

“No community should turn its back on its residents in need — especially while there are people in your community sleeping on the streets.”

From Los Angeles Times

"For too long Labour have taken your votes for granted, they've sat back and let Wales become the poor man of Britain."

From BBC

Mohamed, who has been lodging at the hotel for five months, told the BBC: "He's gone and we hope he doesn't come back again."

From BBC

"England's back three are definitely very quick," she said.

From BBC

Israel's far-right national security minister called for the full occupation of Gaza in response, claiming this was the only way to "bring back the hostages in security".

From BBC

Related Words

• advocate 
• assist 
• encourage 
• endorse 
• favor 
• finance 
• side with 
• sponsor 
• uphold