Back

[bæk]

Definition

(noun.) (American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage.

(noun.) a support that you can lean against while sitting; 'the back of the dental chair was adjustable'.

(noun.) the part of a garment that covers the back of your body; 'they pinned a `kick me' sign on his back'.

(noun.) the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine; 'his back was nicely tanned'.

(noun.) 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'.

(noun.) (football) a person who plays in the backfield.

(verb.) strengthen by providing with a back or backing.

(verb.) establish as valid or genuine; 'Can you back up your claims?'.

(verb.) shift to a counterclockwise direction; 'the wind backed'.

(verb.) travel backward; 'back into the driveway'; 'The car backed up and hit the tree'.

(verb.) cause to travel backward; 'back the car into the parking spot'.

(verb.) support financial backing for; 'back this enterprise'.

(verb.) be behind; approve of; 'He plumped for the Labor Party'; 'I backed Kennedy in 1960'.

(verb.) be in back of; 'My garage backs their yard'.

(adj.) located at or near the back of an animal; 'back (or hind) legs'; 'the hinder part of a carcass' .

(adj.) related to or located at the back; 'the back yard'; 'the back entrance' .

(adj.) of an earlier date; 'back issues of the magazine' .

(adv.) in or to or toward a past time; 'set the clocks back an hour'; 'never look back'; 'lovers of the past looking fondly backward'.

(adv.) 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'.

(adv.) 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'.

(adv.) in or to or toward a former location; 'she went back to her parents' house'.

(adv.) in or to or toward an original condition; 'he went back to sleep'.

(adv.) in reply; 'he wrote back three days later'.

Editor: Seth--From WordNet

Definition

(n.) A large shallow vat; a cistern, tub, or trough, used by brewers, distillers, dyers, picklers, gluemakers, and others, for mixing or cooling wort, holding water, hot glue, etc.

(n.) A ferryboat. See Bac, 1.

(n.) In human beings, the hinder part of the body, extending from the neck to the end of the spine; in other animals, that part of the body which corresponds most nearly to such part of a human being; as, the back of a horse, fish, or lobster.

(n.) An extended upper part, as of a mountain or ridge.

(n.) The outward or upper part of a thing, as opposed to the inner or lower part; as, the back of the hand, the back of the foot, the back of a hand rail.

(n.) The part opposed to the front; the hinder or rear part of a thing; as, the back of a book; the back of an army; the back of a chimney.

(n.) The part opposite to, or most remote from, that which fronts the speaker or actor; or the part out of sight, or not generally seen; as, the back of an island, of a hill, or of a village.

(n.) The part of a cutting tool on the opposite side from its edge; as, the back of a knife, or of a saw.

(n.) A support or resource in reserve.

(n.) The keel and keelson of a ship.

(n.) The upper part of a lode, or the roof of a horizontal underground passage.

(n.) A garment for the back; hence, clothing.

(a.) Being at the back or in the rear; distant; remote; as, the back door; back settlements.

(a.) Being in arrear; overdue; as, back rent.

(a.) Moving or operating backward; as, back action.

(v. i.) To get upon the back of; to mount.

(v. i.) To place or seat upon the back.

(v. i.) To drive or force backward; to cause to retreat or recede; as, to back oxen.

(v. i.) To make a back for; to furnish with a back; as, to back books.

(v. i.) To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.

(v. i.) To write upon the back of; as, to back a letter; to indorse; as, to back a note or legal document.

(v. i.) To support; to maintain; to second or strengthen by aid or influence; as, to back a friend.

(v. i.) To bet on the success of; -- as, to back a race horse.

(v. i.) To move or go backward; as, the horse refuses to back.

(v. i.) To change from one quarter to another by a course opposite to that of the sun; -- used of the wind.

(v. i.) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed; -- said of a dog.

(adv.) In, to, or toward, the rear; as, to stand back; to step back.

(adv.) To the place from which one came; to the place or person from which something is taken or derived; as, to go back for something left behind; to go back to one's native place; to put a book back after reading it.

(adv.) To a former state, condition, or station; as, to go back to private life; to go back to barbarism.

(adv.) (Of time) In times past; ago.

(adv.) Away from contact; by reverse movement.

(adv.) In concealment or reserve; in one's own possession; as, to keep back the truth; to keep back part of the money due to another.

(adv.) In a state of restraint or hindrance.

(adv.) In return, repayment, or requital.

(adv.) In withdrawal from a statement, promise, or undertaking; as, he took back0 the offensive words.

(adv.) In arrear; as, to be back in one's rent.

Editor: Terence

Synonyms and Synonymous

n. [1]. Upper part, outer part.[2]. Hinder part.

a. [1]. Remote.[2]. Hindmost, in the rear.[3]. In a backward direction.

ad. [1]. To the place of starting.[2]. Backward, rearward, abaft, in the rear, towards what is behind.[3]. In return, in recompense.

v. a. [1]. Assist, aid, second, support, countenance, favor, sustain, abet, side with, stand by, take part with, give support to, co-operate with, back up.[2]. Move backward.

Editor: Ned

Definition

n. a brewer's or dyer's tub or trough.

n. the hinder part of the body in man and the upper part in beasts extending from the neck and shoulders to the extremity of the backbone: put for the whole body in speaking of clothes: the hinder part or the part opposite to the front side: the convex part of a book opposite to the opening of the leaves: the thick edge of a knife or the like: the upright hind part of a chair: the surface of the sea or of a river: the keel and keelson of a ship: (football) one of the players stationed behind the 'forwards ' the full back's duty being merely to guard the goal: (mining) that side of an inclined mineral lode which is nearest the surface of the ground—the back of a level is the ground between it and the level above.—adv. to the place from which one came: to a former state or condition: behind: behind in time: in return: again.—v.t. to get upon the back of: to help as if standing at one's back: to force back: to support one's opinion by a wager or bet—'to back a horse ' to bet money on his winning in a race 'to back the field ' to bet upon all the horses in a field against one in particular: to countersign a warrant or indorse a cheque or bill; to write or print at the back of as a parliamentary bill or the like: to put or propel backward or in the opposite direction by reversing the action as of an engine or a boat—hence the phrases To back the oars To back water.—v.i. to move or go back.—n. Back′-band a broad strap or chain passing over the cart saddle and serving to keep up the shafts of a vehicle.—v.t. Back′bite to speak evil of any one behind his back or in his absence.—ns. Back′biter; Back′biting; Back′-board a board placed at the back of a cart boat &c.: a board fastened across the back to straighten the figure; Back′bond (Scots law) a deed attaching a qualification or condition to the terms of a conveyance or other instrument—used when particular circumstances render it necessary to express in a separate form the limitations or qualifications of a right; Back′bone the bone of the back the vertebral column: the main support of anything: mainstay: firmness reliableness; Back′-door a door in the back part of a building: (attrib.) unworthily secret: clandestine.—adj. Backed as in humpbacked.—ns. Back′-end the later part of a season: the late autumn; Back′er one who backs or supports another in a contest: one who bets on a horse or the like; Back′-fall a fall on the back in wrestling—also figuratively: a lever in the coupler of an organ; Back′friend (obs.) a pretended friend: a backer a friend who stands at one's back; Back′ground ground at the back: a place of obscurity: the space behind the principal figures of a picture; Back′-hair the long hair at the back of a woman's head; Back′-hand the hand turned backwards in making a stroke: handwriting with the letters sloped backwards.—adj. Back′-hand′ed with the hand turned backward (as of a blow): indirect.—ns. Back′-hand′er a blow with the back of the hand: an extra glass of wine out of turn the bottle being passed back; Back′ing support at the back: mounting of a horse: the action of putting back: a body of helpers: anything used to form a back or line the back; Back′ing-down shirking; Back′-lash the jarring reaction of a wheel in a machine when the motion is not uniform; Back′-log a log at the back of a fire.—adj. Back′most farthest to the back.—ns. Back′-piece Back′-plate a piece or plate of armour for the back; Back′-set a setting back reverse: an eddy or counter-current; Back′side the back or hinder side or part of anything: the hinder part of an animal; Back′-sight in surveying a sight taken backwards: the sight of a rifle nearer the stock; Back′-slang slang in which every word is pronounced backwards.—v.t. Backslide′ to slide or fall back in faith or morals:—pa.p. backslid′ or backslid′den.—ns. Backslid′er; Backslid′ing.—n.pl. Back′stairs back or private stairs of a house.—adj. secret or underhand.—n.pl. Back′stays ropes or stays extending from the topmast-heads to the sides of a ship and slanting a little backward to second the shrouds in supporting the mast when strained by a weight of sail in a fresh wind: any stay or support at the back.—ns. Back′stitch a method of sewing in which for every new stitch the needle enters behind and comes out in front of the end of the previous one; Back′sword a sword with a back or with only one edge: a stick with a basket-handle; Backsword′man (Shak.); Back′-wash a backward current.—v.t. to affect with back-wash: to clean the oil from wool after combing.—n. Back′water water held back in a mill-stream or river by the obstruction of a dam below—a pool or belt of water connected with a river but not in the line of its course or current: water thrown back by the turning of a water-wheel: a backward current of water: the swell of the sea formed by the paddles of a steamship.—n.pl. Back′woods the forest or uncultivated part of a country beyond the cleared country as in North American Backwoods′man.—Back! go back turn back (imperatively).—At the back of (in U.S. often Back of) in support or pursuit; On Upon the back of weighing down as a burden.—To and back (Shak.) forward and backward.—To back down to abandon one's opinion or position; To back out to recede from an engagement or promise; To back up to give support to; To be on one's back to have come to the end of one's resources; To break the back of to overburden to complete the hardest part of a task; To cast behind the back (B.) to forgive; To set or put up the back to arouse to resentment; To the backbone thoroughly.

Editor: Matt