back 1 (b k)n.1. a. The posterior portion of the trunk of the human body between the neck and the pelvis; the dorsum. b. The analogous dorsal region in other animals. 2. The backbone or spine. 3. The part or area farthest from the front. 4. The part opposite to or behind that adapted for view or use: the back of the hand; wrote on the back of the photograph. 5. The reverse side, as of a coin. 6. A part that supports or strengthens from the rear: the back of a couch. 7. a. The part of a book where the pages are stitched or glued together into the binding. b. The binding itself. 8. Sports a. A player who takes a position behind the front line of other players in certain games, such as football and soccer. b. This playing position. v. backed, back·ing, backs v.tr.1. To cause to move backward or in a reverse direction: Back the car up and then make the turn. 2. To furnish or strengthen with a back or backing. 3. To provide with financial or moral support; support or endorse: Unions backed the pro-labor candidate. See Synonyms at support. 4. To provide with musical accompaniment. Often used with up. 5. To bet or wager on. 6. To adduce evidence in support of; substantiate: backed the argument with facts. 7. To form the back or background of: Snowcapped mountains back the village. v.intr.1. To move backward: backed out of the garage. 2. To shift to a counterclockwise direction. Used of the wind. adj.1. Located or placed in the rear: Deliveries should be made at the back entrance. 2. Distant from a center of activity; remote. 3. Of a past date; not current: a back issue of a periodical. 4. Being owed or due from an earlier time; in arrears: back pay. 5. Being in a backward direction. 6. Linguistics Pronounced with the back of the tongue, as oo in cool. Used of vowels. adv.1. At, to, or toward the rear or back; backward. 2. In, to, or toward a former location: went back for the class reunion. 3. In, to, or toward a former condition. 4. In, to, or toward a past time. 5. In reserve or concealment. 6. In check or under restraint: Barriers held the crowd back. 7. In reply or return. Phrasal Verbs: back away To withdraw from a position; retreat. back down To withdraw from a position, opinion, or commitment. back off To retreat or draw away. back out1. To withdraw from something before completion. 2. To fail to keep a commitment or promise. back up1. To cause to accumulate or undergo accumulation: The accident backed the traffic up for blocks. Traffic backed up in the tunnel. 2. Computer Science To make a backup of (a program or file). Idioms: back and fill1. Nautical To maneuver a vessel in a narrow channel by adjusting the sails so as to let the wind in and out of them in alteration. 2. To vacillate in one's actions or decisions. back to back Consecutively and without interruption: presented three speeches back to back. behind (one's) back In one's absence or without one's knowledge. have (one's) back up To be angry or irritated. off (someone's) back No longer nagging or urging someone to do something. on (someone's) back Persistently nagging or urging someone to do something.
[Middle English bak, from Old English bæc.]
back less adj. |
back Noun 1. the rear part of the human body, from the neck to the pelvis 2. the spinal column 3. the part or side of an object opposite the front 4. the part of anything less often seen or used 5. Ball games a defensive player or position 6. not in one's conscious thoughts 7. behind someone's back secretly or deceitfully 8. put or get someone's back up to annoy someone 9. turn one's back on someone to refuse to help someone Verb 1. to move or cause to move backwards 2. to provide money for (a person or enterprise) 3. to bet on the success of: to back a horse 4. to provide (a pop singer) with a musical accompaniment 5. (foll. by on, onto)to have the back facing (towards): his garden backs onto a school 6. (of the wind) to change direction anticlockwise Adjective 1. situated behind: back garden 2. owing from an earlier date: back rent 3. remote: a back road Adverb 1. at, to, or towards the rear 2. to or towards the original starting point or condition: I went back home 3. in reply or retaliation: to hit someone back 4. in concealment or reserve: to keep something back 5. back and forth to and fro 6. back to front a. in reverse b. in disorder
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  back - the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine; "his back was nicely tanned"saddle - posterior part of the back of a domestic fowl body part - any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity torso, trunk, body - the body excluding the head and neck and limbs; "they moved their arms and legs and bodies" small - the slender part of the back dorsal vertebra, thoracic vertebra - one of 12 vertebrae in the human vertebral column; thoracic vertebrae extend from the seventh cervical vertebra down to the first lumbar vertebra lumbar vertebra - one of 5 vertebrae in the human vertebral column; lumbar vertebrae extend from the twelfth thoracic vertebra down to the sacral vertebrae | | 2. | back - the side that goes last or is not normally seen; "he wrote the date on the back of the photograph"side - an extended outer surface of an object; "he turned the box over to examine the bottom side"; "they painted all four sides of the house" | | 3. | back - the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer; "he stood at the back of the stage"; "it was hidden in the rear of the store"position, place - the particular portion of space occupied by something; "he put the lamp back in its place" front - the part of something that is nearest to the normal viewer; "he walked to the front of the stage" | | 4. | back - (football) a person who plays in the backfieldfootball, football game - any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal running back - (football) a back on the offensive team (a fullback or halfback) who tries to advance the ball by carrying it on plays from the line of scrimmage tailback - (American football) the person who plays tailback wingback - (football) the person who plays wingback | | 5. |  back - the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord; "the fall broke his back"notochord - a flexible rodlike structure that forms the supporting axis of the body in the lowest chordates and lowest vertebrates and in embryos of higher vertebrates chine - backbone of an animal coccyx, tail bone - the end of the vertebral column in humans and tailless apes vertebra - one of the bony segments of the spinal column axial skeleton - the part of the skeleton that includes the skull and spinal column and sternum and ribs | | 6. |  back - the protective covering on the front, back, and spine of a book; "the book had a leather binding"book, volume - physical objects consisting of a number of pages bound together; "he used a large book as a doorstop" half binding - book binding in which the spine and part of the sides are bound in one material and the rest in another three-quarter binding - the spine and much of the sides are a different material from the rest of the cover | | 7. | back - the part of a garment that covers the back of your body; "they pinned a `kick me' sign on his back" | | 8. |  back - a support that you can lean against while sitting; "the back of the dental chair was adjustable"cantle - the back of a saddle seat chair - a seat for one person, with a support for the back; "he put his coat over the back of the chair and sat down" ladder-back - the backrest of a chair that consists of two uprights with connecting slats support - any device that bears the weight of another thing; "there was no place to attach supports for a shelf" | | 9. | back - (American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmageAmerican football, American football game - a game played by two teams of 11 players on a rectangular field 100 yards long; teams try to get possession of the ball and advance it across the opponents goal line in a series of (running or passing) plays position - (in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player; "what position does he play?" line backer, linebacker - (American football) the position of a defensive football player who plays close behind the line of scrimmage field general, quarterback, signal caller - (American football) the position of the football player in the backfield who directs the offensive play of his team; "quarterback is the most important position on the team" fullback - (American football) the position of a back on a football team halfback - (American football) the position of a back on a football team tailback - (American football) the position of the offensive back on a football team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage wingback - (American football) the position of the offensive back who lines up behind or outside the end backfield - the offensive football players who line up behind the linemen secondary - the defensive football players who line up behind the linemen | | Verb | 1. | back - be behind; approve of; "He plumped for the Labor Party"; "I backed Kennedy in 1960"warrant, guarantee - stand behind and guarantee the quality, accuracy, or condition of; "The dealer warrants all the cars he sells"; "I warrant this information" second, endorse, indorse, back - give support or one's approval to; "I'll second that motion"; "I can't back this plan"; "endorse a new project" | | 2. | back - travel backward; "back into the driveway"; "The car backed up and hit the tree"go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" back out - move out of a space backwards; "He backed out of the driveway" back - cause to travel backward; "back the car into the parking spot" back out - move out of a space backwards; "He backed out of the driveway" | | 3. | back - give support or one's approval to; "I'll second that motion"; "I can't back this plan"; "endorse a new project"back up, support - give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to; "She supported him during the illness"; "Her children always backed her up" | | 4. | back - cause to travel backward; "back the car into the parking spot"back - travel backward; "back into the driveway"; "The car backed up and hit the tree" | | 5. | back - support financial backing for; "back this enterprise"finance - obtain or provide money for; "Can we finance the addition to our home?" | | 6. | back - be in back of; "My garage backs their yard"lie - be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position front, face, look - be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to; "The house looks north"; "My backyard look onto the pond"; "The building faces the park" | | 7. | back - place a bet on; "Which horse are you backing?"; "I'm betting on the new horse"wager, bet, play - stake on the outcome of an issue; "I bet $100 on that new horse"; "She played all her money on the dark horse" | | 8. | back - shift to a counterclockwise direction; "the wind backed"veer - shift to a clockwise direction; "the wind veered" | | 9. | back - establish as valid or genuine; "Can you back up your claims?" | | 10. | back - strengthen by providing with a back or backingstrengthen - gain strength; "His body strengthened" | | Adj. | 1. | back - related to or located at the back; "the back yard"; "the back entrance"posterior - located at or near or behind a part or near the end of a structure aft - (nautical, aeronautical) situated at or toward the stern or tail front - relating to or located in the front; "the front lines"; "the front porch" | | 2. | back - located at or near the back of an animal; "back (or hind) legs"; "the hinder part of a carcass"posterior - located at or near or behind a part or near the end of a structure | | 3. | back - of an earlier date; "back issues of the magazine"noncurrent - not current or belonging to the present time | | Adv. | 1. | back - in or to or toward a former location; "she went back to her parents' house" | | 2. | back - at or to or toward the back or rear; "he moved back"; "tripped when he stepped backward"; "she looked rearward out the window of the car" | | 3. | back - in or to or toward an original condition; "he went back to sleep" | | 4. | back - in or to or toward a past time; "set the clocks back an hour"; "never look back"; "lovers of the past looking fondly backward"ahead, forward - toward the future; forward in time; "I like to look ahead in imagination to what the future may bring"; "I look forward to seeing you" | | 5. | back - in reply; "he wrote back three days later" | | 6. | back - in repayment or retaliation; "we paid back everything we had borrowed"; "he hit me and I hit him back"; "I was kept in after school for talking back to the teacher" |
back verb 8. support, help, second, aid, champion, encourage, favour, defend, promote, sanction, sustain, assist, advocate, endorse, side with, stand up for, espouse, stand behind, countenance, abet, stick up for ( informal) take up the cudgels for << OPPOSITE oppose back down give in, collapse, withdraw, yield, concede, submit, surrender, comply, cave in ( informal) capitulate, accede, admit defeat, back-pedal back someone up support, second, aid, assist, stand by, bolster behind someone's back secretly, covertly, surreptitiously, furtively, conspiratorially, sneakily, deceitfully >> adjective dorsal  Translations back [bæk] n [ of person] → espalda; [ of animal] → lomo; [ of hand, page] → dorso; back to front → al revés; adj ( in compounds) → de atrás; back seats/wheels (AUT) → asientos mpl/ruedas fpl traseros/as; back rent → renta atrasada; he's back (= returned) → ha vuelto; he ran back → volvió corriendo; throw the ball back (= restitution) → devuelve la pelota; can I have it back? → ¿me lo devuelve?; he called back ( again) → volvió a llamar; as far back as the 13th century → ya en el siglo XIII; when will you be back? → ¿cuándo volverá?back down vi → echarse atrás back out vi ( of promise) → volverse atrás
 back [bæk] n [ of person, horse] → dos m [ of hand]; dos, revers m [ of house]; derrière m [ of car, train]; arrière m [ of chair]; dossier m [ of page]; verso m [ of crowd]; to have one's back to the wall ( fig) → être au pied du mur; throw the ball back → renvoie la balle; he called back → il a rappelé back out vi ( of promise) → se dédire
 back [bæk] n → Rücken m; ( of chair) → (Rücken)lehne f; vi (also: back up) (person) → rückwärtsgehen; cpd (payment, rent) → ausstehend in the back (of the car) → hinten (im Auto); back room → Hinterzimmer nt; back garden → Garten m (hinter dem Haus); back wheels → Hinterräder pl; can I have it back? → kann ich es zurückhaben or wiederhaben?
 back [bæk] n [ of person, horse] → dorso, schiena; [ of hand] → dorso; [ of house, car] → didietro; [ of train] → coda; [ of chair] → schienale m [ of page] → rovescio; back seats/wheels ( AUT) → sedili mpl/ruote fpl posteriori; back payments/rent → arretrati mpl; when will you be back? → quando torni?; ( restitution): throw the ball back → ritira la palla; can I have it back? → posso riaverlo? (= again): he called back → ha richiamatoback out vi ( of promise) → tirarsi indietro
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