English▸ noun
1 the rear surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips:
he lay on his back
Forbes slapped me on the back
[as modifier] back pain.
▪ the upper surface of an animal's body that corresponds to a person's back:
the adults have white bodies with gray backs.
▪ the spine of a person or animal.
▪ 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:
they wanted the government off their backs.
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
an empty spot in the back of the plane.
▪ [in singular] the position directly behind someone or something:
she unbuttoned her dress from the back.
▪ the side or part of an object opposed to the one that is normally seen or used; the less active, visible, or important part of something:
write on the back of a postcard
he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
3 a player in a field game whose initial position is behind the front line:
their backs showed some impressive running and passing.
▸ adverb
1 toward the rear; in the opposite direction from the one that one is facing or traveling:
she moved back a pace
she walked away without looking back.
▪ expressing movement of the body into a reclining position:
he leaned back in his chair
sit back and relax.
▪ at a distance away:
I thought you were miles back
the officer pushed the crowd back.
▪ (back of) North American informal behind:
he knew that other people were back of him.
2 expressing a return to an earlier or normal condition:
she put the book back on the shelf
drive to Montreal and back
I went back to sleep
he was given his job back.
▪ at a place previously left or mentioned:
the folks back home are counting on him.
▪ fashionable again:
sideburns are back.
▸ verb
1 [with object] give financial, material, or moral support to:
he had a newspaper empire backing him.
▪ supplement in order to reinforce or strengthen:
the government troops were backed by paramilitary forces.
▪ be in favor of:
over 97 percent backed the changes.
▪ (in popular music) provide musical accompaniment to (a singer or musician):
brisk guitar work backed by drums, bass, fiddle, and accordion.
▪ bet money on (a person or animal) winning a race or contest:
he backed the horse at 33–1.
2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] walk or drive backward:
I put the car in reverse and backed down the road.
▪ [with object] cause to move backward:
he backed the Mercedes into the yard.
▪ (of the wind) change direction counterclockwise around the points of the compass:
the wind had backed to the northwest.
The opposite of veer1. ▪ [with object] Sailing put (a sail) aback in order to slow the vessel down.
3 [with object] cover the back of (an object) in order to support, protect, or decorate it:
a mirror backed with tortoiseshell.
4 [with object] lie behind or at the back of:
the promenade is backed by lots of cafes.
▪ put a song or piece of music on the less important side of (a recording):
the new single is backed with a track from the LP.
▸ adjective [attributive]
1 of or at the back of something:
the back garden
the back pocket of his jeans.
▪ situated in a remote or subsidiary position:
back roads.
– PHRASES
at someone's back
in pursuit or support of someone.back and forth
to and fro.the back of one's mind
used to express that something is in one's mind but is not consciously thought of or remembered:
/
reversed; backward:
reverse the action of the oars while rowing, causing a boat to slow down or stop:
make a wrong or inappropriate choice.behind someone's back
without a person's knowledge and in an unfair or dishonorable way:
make someone annoyed or angry.in back North American
at the back of something, especially a building:
be entirely familiar with a place or route.on one's back
in bed recovering from an injury or illness.
approach (a task) with vigor.turn one's back on
ignore (someone) by turning away.
in a desperate situation.back and fill
trim the sails of a vessel so that the wind alternately fills and spills out of them, in order to maneuver in a limited space.
someone's attention is elsewhere:
a remote or inaccessible place.
at someone's back
in pursuit or support of someone.back and forth
to and fro.the back of one's mind
used to express that something is in one's mind but is not consciously thought of or remembered:
she had a little nagging worry at the back of her mind.
back to front British /ˌbak tə ˈfrənt, ˌbæk tə ˈfrənt reversed; backward:
the exhausts had been fitted back to front
a back-to-front baseball cap.
back water reverse the action of the oars while rowing, causing a boat to slow down or stop:
the exhausted crews backed water and the fleet fell apart.
back the wrong horse make a wrong or inappropriate choice.behind someone's back
without a person's knowledge and in an unfair or dishonorable way:
Carla made fun of him behind his back.
get someone's back up (also put someone's back up) make someone annoyed or angry.in back North American
at the back of something, especially a building:
my dad demolished an old shed in back of his barn.
know something like the back of one's hand be entirely familiar with a place or route.on one's back
in bed recovering from an injury or illness.
▪ full-length on the ground:
put one's back into he slipped off the heap and landed flat on his back.
approach (a task) with vigor.turn one's back on
ignore (someone) by turning away.
▪ reject or abandon:
with one's back to the wall (also with one's back up against the wall) she turned her back on her career to devote her life to animals.
in a desperate situation.back and fill
trim the sails of a vessel so that the wind alternately fills and spills out of them, in order to maneuver in a limited space.
▪ zigzag or vacillate.
someone's back is turned someone's attention is elsewhere:
he kissed her quickly, when the landlady's back was turned.
the back of (the) beyond a remote or inaccessible place.
– PHRASAL VERBS
back away
move away from someone or something in a backward direction, especially as a result of fear or apprehension:
withdraw a claim or assertion in the face of opposition:
draw back from action or confrontation:
(of a property) have its back adjacent to a piece of land or body of water:
withdraw from a commitment:
back away
move away from someone or something in a backward direction, especially as a result of fear or apprehension:
the victim tried to back away but was punched by the other man
Marianne gasped and backed away from the door
figurative the administration backed away from the plan.
back down withdraw a claim or assertion in the face of opposition:
the contenders backed down from their original pledge.
back off draw back from action or confrontation:
just back off and leave me alone
they backed off from fundamental reform of the system.
▪ North American
withdraw a claim or assertion in the face of opposition:
back onto (back onto something) withdraw a claim or assertion in the face of opposition:
she has backed off on her earlier threat to shut down operations.
(of a property) have its back adjacent to a piece of land or body of water:
his garage wall backs onto the neighboring property.
back out withdraw from a commitment:
if he backs out of the deal they'll sue him.
back up 1 (back someone or something up, back up someone or something)
provide support for someone or something:
provide support for someone or something:
go up there and tell them—I'll back you up
more than 100 uniformed officers and detectives are working on the case, backed up by specialists from the National Crime Agency
U.S. troops were backed up by forces from European countries.
▪ (back something up, back up something)
confirm or corroborate a statement or theory:
confirm or corroborate a statement or theory:
Pedro's story is backed up by the accounts of three other young people who worked on the campaign
she has the data to back up her claim.
3
(of vehicles) form a line due to congestion:
(of vehicles) form a line due to congestion:
the traffic began to back up.
▪ (back something up, back up something)
cause vehicles to form a line due to congestion:
cause vehicles to form a line due to congestion:
the traffic was backed up a mile in each direction
all lanes were closed, backing up traffic for miles on the key north–south artery.
▪ (be backed up)
be experiencing a backlog of work or other things that need to be dealt with:
be experiencing a backlog of work or other things that need to be dealt with:
your car won't be ready today as we're really backed up.
– ORIGIN Old English bæc, 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.