back
1
[ bak ]
/ bæk /
noun
the rear part of the human body, extending from the neck to the lower end of the spine.
the part of the body of animals corresponding to the human back.
the rear portion of any part of the body: the back of the head.
the whole body, with reference to clothing: the clothes on his back.
ability for labor; effort; endurance: He put his back into the task.
the part opposite to or farthest from the front; the rear part: the back of a hall.
the part that forms the rear of any object or structure: the back of a chair.
the part that covers the back: the back of a jacket.
the spine or backbone: The fall broke his back.
any rear part of an object serving to support, protect, etc.: the back of a binder.
Nautical, Aeronautics.
the forward side of a propeller blade (opposed to facedef 20).
Aeronautics.
the top part or upper surface of an aircraft, especially of its fuselage.
Bookbinding.
the edge of a book formed where its sections are bound together.
the backs,
grounds along the River Cam in back of certain colleges at Cambridge University in England: noted for their great beauty.
Architecture.
extrados.
Carpentry.
- the upper side of a joist, rafter, handrail, etc.
- the area of interior wall between a window stool and the floor.
Mining.
the roof of a stope or drift.
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.
verb (used with object)
to support, as with authority, influence, help, or money (often followed by up): to back a candidate; to back up a theory with facts.
to bet on: to back a horse in the race.
to cause to move backward (often followed by up): to back a car.
to furnish with a back: to back a book.
to lie at the back of; form a back or background for: a beach backed by hills.
to provide with an accompaniment: a singer backed by piano and bass.
to get upon the back of; mount.
to write or print on the back of; endorse; countersign.
Carpentry.
to attach strips of wood to the upper edge of (a joist or rafter) to bring it to a desired level.
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.
verb (used without object)
to go or move backward (often followed by up).
Nautical.
(of wind) to change direction counterclockwise (opposed to veer).
adjective
situated at or in the rear: at the back door; back fence.
far away or removed from the front or main area, position, or rank; remote: back settlements.
belonging to the past: back files; back issues.
in arrears; overdue: back pay.
coming or going back; moving backward: back current.
Navigation.
reciprocal(def 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 Phrases
back away,
to retreat; withdraw: They gradually began to back away from their earlier opinion.
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.
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.
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.
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.
back up for, Australian Informal.
to return for more of, as another helping of food.
Idioms for back
- 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.
- 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.
back and fill,
back and forth, South Midland U.S.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- to forsake or neglect: He was unable to turn his back on any suffering creature.
- to leave behind, as in anger.
back water,
be flat on one's back,
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.
break someone's back,
to cause a person to fail, especially to cause to become bankrupt: His family's extravagance is breaking his back.
break the back of,
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.
get one's back up, Informal.
to become annoyed; take offense: She gets her back up whenever someone mentions her family's influence.
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.
have one's back to the wall,
to be in a difficult or hopeless situation.
in back of,
behind: He hid in back of the billboard. What could be in back of his strange behavior?
Also back of.
on one's back, Informal.
finding fault with or disturbing someone: The boss is always on my back about promptness.
pat on the back.
pat1(defs 9, 11).
a stab in the back.
stab(def 12).
stab (someone) in the back.
stab(def 13).
turn one's back on,
Origin of back
1
before 1000; Middle English
bak, Old English
bæc back of the body; cognate with Old Frisian
bek, Old Saxon, Old Norse
bak; perhaps < Indo-European
*bhogo- bending; cf.
bacon
SYNONYMS FOR back
ANTONYMS FOR back
1, 31
front.
synonym study for back
31.
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.
usage note for back
55. 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 WORDS FROM back
back·less, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH back
back up backupWords nearby back
Example sentences from the Web for backless
While the actress may look stunning in the backless gown, her hair-do seems to be confusing the magazine's readers.
‘Blurred Lines’ Model Emily Ratajkowski Cast in ‘Gone Girl’; Sandra Bullock Covers Vogue With a Mullet |The Fashion Beast Team |September 17, 2013 |DAILY BEASTFrom backless tees to side-less dresses, the capsule range seems to be filled with free-and-easy items.
Sneak Preview of Rihanna’s Bra-less Fashions, Tom Ford Creator of Justin Timberlake’s Suit and Ties |The Fashion Beast Team |January 28, 2013 |DAILY BEASTShe slips out of a pink camouflage sweatshirt and into a backless paper gown.
Alice Dellal has worn it in red; Scarlett Johansson has a backless version.
Heidi, thoughtfully looking at the backless chairs, remarked: "Grandfather, I don't think she would sit down on those."
Heidi |Johanna SpyriHere on rude, backless benches sat the larger boys and girls.
Crestlands |Mary Addams BayneWithin, a tall spare woman stood with bare red arms before a washtub on a backless wooden chair.
On the Lightship |Herman Knickerbocker VielKenwick advanced to meet her, apologizing for the discomfort of the backless chair which he offered.
The Rest Hollow Mystery |Rebecca N. PorterDown each side of the hall stretched long, backless benches, with room for three hundred men.
Viking Tales |Jennie Hall
British Dictionary definitions for backless (1 of 3)
backless
/ (ˈbæklɪs) /
adjective
(of a dress) low-cut at the back
British Dictionary definitions for backless (2 of 3)
back
1
/ (bæk) /
noun
the posterior part of the human body, extending from the neck to the pelvis
Related adjective: dorsal
the corresponding or upper part of an animal
the spinal column
the part or side of an object opposite the front
the part or side of anything less often seen or used
the back of a carpet; the back of a knife
the part or side of anything that is furthest from the front or from a spectator
the back of the stage
the convex part of something
the back of a hill; the back of a ship
something that supports, covers, or strengthens the rear of an object
ball games
- a mainly defensive player behind a forward
- the position of such a player
the part of a book to which the pages are glued or that joins the covers
mining
- the side of a passage or layer nearest the surface
- the earth between that level and the next
the upper surface of a joist, rafter, slate, tile, etc, when in position
Compare bed (def. 13)
at one's back
behind, esp in support or pursuit
at the back of one's mind
not in one's conscious thoughts
behind one's back
without one's knowledge; secretly or deceitfully
break one's back
to overwork or work very hard
break the back of
to complete the greatest or hardest part of (a task)
on one's back or flat on one's back
incapacitated, esp through illness
get off someone's back informal
to stop criticizing or pestering someone
have on one's back
to be burdened with
on someone's back informal
criticizing or pestering someone
put one's back into
to devote all one's strength to (a task)
put someone's back up or get someone's back up
to annoy someone
see the back of
to be rid of
back of beyond
- the back of beyond a very remote place
- Australian in such a place (esp in the phrase out back of beyond)
turn one's back on
- to turn away from in anger or contempt
- to refuse to help; abandon
with one's back to the wall
in a difficult or desperate situation
verb (mainly tr)
(also intr)
to move or cause to move backwards
to provide support, money, or encouragement for (a person, enterprise, etc)
to bet on the success of
to back a horse
to provide with a back, backing, or lining
to provide with a music accompaniment
a soloist backed by an orchestra
to provide a background for; be at the back of
mountains back the town
to countersign or endorse
archaic
to mount the back of
(intr; foll by on or onto)
to have the back facing (towards)
the house backs onto a river
(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)
nautical
to position (a sail) so that the wind presses on its opposite side
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
adjective (prenominal)
situated behind
a back lane
of the past
back issues of a magazine
owing from an earlier date
back rent
mainly US, Australian and NZ
remote
back country
(of a road) not direct
moving in a backward direction
back current
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
at, to, or towards the rear; away from something considered to be the front; backwards; behind
in, to, or towards the original starting point, place, or condition
to go back home; put the book back; my headache has come back
in or into the past
to look back on one's childhood
in reply, repayment, or retaliation
to hit someone back; pay back a debt; to answer back
in check
the dam holds back the water
in concealment; in reserve
to keep something back; to hold back information
back and forth
to and fro
back to front
- in reverse
- in disorder
Word Origin for back
Old English
bæc; related to Old Norse
bak, Old Frisian
bek, Old High German
bah
British Dictionary definitions for backless (3 of 3)
back
2
/ (bæk) /
noun
a large tub or vat, esp one used by brewers
Word Origin for back
C17: from Dutch
bak tub, cistern, from Old French
bac, from Vulgar Latin
bacca (unattested) vessel for liquids
Medical definitions for backless
back
[ băk ]
n.
The posterior portion of the trunk of the human body between the neck and the pelvis; the dorsum.
The backbone or spine.
Idioms and Phrases with backless
back
In addition to the idioms beginning with back
- back against the wall
- back alley
- back and fill
- back and forth
- back away
- back burner, on a
- back door
- back down
- back in circulation
- back in harness
- back number
- back of
- back of beyond
- back off
- back of one's hand
- back of one's mind
- back on one's feet
- back order
- back out
- back street
- back the wrong horse
- back to back
- back to basics
- back to the drawing board
- back to the salt mines
- back to the wall
- back up
- back water
also see:
- 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 aback
- take a back seat
- 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