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1. Dictionary

   back

   /bak/

   noun

   • 1. the rear surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips: "he lay on his back"
   • ▪ the upper surface of an animal's body that corresponds to a person's back: "the adults have white bodies with grey backs"
   • ▪ the spine of a person or animal. Similar spinebackbonespinal columnvertebral columntechnical:dorsumrachis
   • ▪ the main structure of a ship's hull or an aircraft's fuselage: "Demetrius broke its back on the rocks in a force 11 gale"
   • ▪ the part of a chair against which the sitter's back rests.
   • ▪ the part of a garment that covers a person's back: "a top with a scooped neckline and a low back"
   • ▪ a person's back regarded as carrying a load or bearing an imposition: "the Press are on my back"
   • 2. the side or part of something that is away from the spectator or from the direction in which it moves or faces; the rear: "at the back of the hotel is a secluded garden" Similar rearrear sideother sidesternendtail endrear endtailfar endtag endOpposite frontfronthead
   • ▪ the position directly behind someone or something: "she unbuttoned her dress from the back"
   • ▪ the side or part of an object that is not normally seen or used: "the back of a postcard" Similar reversereverse sideother sideundersideversoinformal:flip sideOpposite frontface
   • 3. a player in a team game who plays in a defensive position behind the forwards: "their backs showed some impressive running and passing"
   • 4. the grounds of Cambridge colleges which back on to the River Cam.

   adverb

   • 1. in the opposite direction from the one that one is facing or travelling towards: "he moved back a pace" Similar backwardsbehind oneto one's rearrearwardsawayoffOpposite forward
   • ▪ expressing movement of the body into a reclining position: "he leaned back in his chair"
   • ▪ at a distance away: "keep back from the roadside" Similar awayat a distance
   • ▪ behind: informal North American "he knew that other people were back of him"
   • ▪ losing by a specified margin: informal North American "the team was five points back"
   • 2. so as to return to an earlier or normal position or condition: "she put the book back on the shelf"
   • ▪ at a place previously left or mentioned: "the folks back home are counting on him"
   • ▪ fashionable again: "sideburns are back"
   • 3. in or into the past: "he made his fortune back in 1955"
   • 4. in return: "they wrote back to me"

   verb

   • 1. give financial, material, or moral support to: "he had a newspaper empire backing him" Similar sponsorfinanceput up the money forfundsubsidizeunderwritepromotelend one's name tobe a patron ofact as guarantor ofsupportinformal:foot the bill forpick up the tab forbankrollstakesupportendorsesanctionapprove ofgive one's blessing tosmile onfavouradvocatepromoteupholdchampionvote forally oneself withstand behindside withbe on the side ofdefendtake up the cudgels forsecondinformal:throw one's weight behindOpposite oppose
   • ▪ supplement in order to strengthen: "the government troops were backed by paramilitary forces"
   • ▪ be in favour of: "over 97 per cent backed the changes"
   • ▪ (in popular music) provide musical accompaniment to (a singer or musician): "on his new album he is backed by an American group"
   • ▪ bet money on (a person or animal) winning a race or contest: "he backed the horse at 33–1" Similar bet onplace a bet ongamble onstake money on
   • 2. walk or drive backwards: "I put the car in reverse and backed down the road" Similar reversemove/drive backwardsbacktrackretrace one's stepsOpposite move forwardsadvance
   • ▪ cause to move backwards: "he backed the Mercedes into the yard"
   • ▪ (of the wind) change direction anticlockwise around the points of the compass: "the wind had backed to the north-west"
   • ▪ put (a sail) aback in order to slow the vessel down or assist in turning through the wind.
   • 3. cover the back of (an article) in order to support, protect, or decorate it: "a mirror backed with tortoiseshell"
   • 4. lie behind or at the back of: "the promenade is backed by lots of cafes"
   • ▪ put a piece of music on the less important side of (a vinyl recording): "the new single is backed with a track from the LP"

   adjective

   • 1. of or at the back of something: "the back garden" Similar rearendhindhindmostrearmostdorsalposteriorOpposite frontfrontfront
   • ▪ in a remote or subsidiary position: "back roads"
   • 2. from or relating to the past: "she was owed back pay" Similar pastoldpreviousearlierformerout of dateOpposite future
   • 3. directed towards the rear or in a reversed course: "a back header"
   • 4. (of a sound) articulated at the back of the mouth: "a long back vowel, as in 'dance' or 'bath'"

   Word Origin Old Englishbæc, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch and Old Norse bak. The adverb use dates from late Middle English and is a shortening of aback.

   Scrabble Points: 12

   • B

     3

   • A

     1

   • C

     3

   • K

     5

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2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishBACK | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   Learn the meaning and usage of the word back as an adverb, noun, adjective or verb in English. Find out how to use back in different contexts, such as returning, further away, body part, sports and idioms.

   • English (US)

     BACK meaning: 1. in, into, or towards a previous place or...

   • Backed

     -BACKED definition: 1. used to form adjectives that describe...

   • Norwegian Translation

     back - translate into Norwegian with the English-Norwegian...

   • Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

     BACK definition: 1. where someone or something was before:...

3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › backBack Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › back

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   Learn the various meanings and uses of the word back as a noun, adverb, adjective, and verb. Find synonyms, example sentences, phrases, and related articles for back.

4. www.dictionary.com › browse › backBACK Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › back

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   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 or strength:

5. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishBACK | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

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   Learn the meaning and usage of the word back as an adverb, noun, verb, and adjective. Find out how to use back in different contexts, such as returning, behind, replying, supporting, and more.

6. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishback noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   Learn the meaning, pronunciation and examples of the word back as a noun in English. Find out the different parts, idioms and collocations of back in various contexts.

7. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishBACK definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   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. ANTONYMS 1, 52. front. USAGE 26.

8. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › backBack - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › back

   Your back is your spine, or the rear part of your whole body. When you lie on the grass on your back, you can watch the clouds in the sky above you. There are dozens of ways to use the word back. You might have back pain, or stroke your cat's back. Your clothing also has a back, and you have a figurative back: "Get off my back, Mom!"