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 grey backs.
▪ the spine of a person or animal.
▪ 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
a rubber dinghy with an engine at the back.
▪ 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.
3 a player in a team game who plays in a defensive position behind the forwards:
their backs showed some impressive running and passing.
▸ adverb
1 in the opposite direction from the one that one is facing or travelling towards:
he 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:
keep back from the roadside.
▪ (back of) North American English informal behind:
he knew that other people were back of him.
▪ North American English informal losing by a specified margin:
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
he drove to Glasgow and back in a day
things were back to normal.
▪ 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 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.
2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] walk or drive backwards:
I put the car in reverse and backed down the road.
▪ [with object] cause to move backwards:
he backed the Mercedes into the yard.
▪ [no object] (of the wind) change direction anticlockwise around the points of the compass. The opposite of veer1:
the wind had backed to the north-west.
▪ [with object] Sailing put (a sail) aback in order to slow the vessel down or assist in turning through the wind.
3 [with object] cover the back of (an article) 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 piece of music on the less important side of (a vinyl recording):
the new single is backed with a track from the LP.
▸ adjective [attributive]
– PHRASES
back in the day
in the past; some time ago:
in the past; some time ago:
back in the day, he'd had one of the greatest minds I'd ever come across.
one's back is turned
one's attention is elsewhere:
one's attention is elsewhere:
he kissed her quickly, when the landlady's back was turned.
the back of beyond
a very remote or inaccessible place:
a very remote or inaccessible place:
he would disappear on hikes in the back of beyond
the stereotypes about the south-west being the back of beyond are way out of date.
back o'Bourke Australian English informal
remote inland country; the outback:
remote inland country; the outback:
I'm always dubious because of the car's age. I have this fear that I'm going to be let down somewhere in the back o'Bourke.
[from the name of a town in north-west New South Wales]
the back of one's mind
used to express that something is in one's mind but is not consciously thought of or remembered:
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 someone into a corner
force someone into a difficult situation:
force someone into a difficult situation:
I was backed into a corner—there was no way out.
back to front /ˌbak tə ˈfrʌnt 
/ British English
with the back at the front and the front at the back:
with the back at the front and the front at the back:
the exhausts had been fitted back to front.
back water
reverse the action of a boat's oars to slow down or stop:
reverse the action of a boat's oars to slow down or stop:
the exhausted crews backed water and the fleet fell apart.
behind someone's back
without a person's knowledge and in an unfair way:
without a person's knowledge and in an unfair way:
Carla made fun of him behind his back.
have someone's back
be constantly prepared to offer support or assistance to someone:
be constantly prepared to offer support or assistance to someone:
my parents always have my back.
in back North American English
at the back of something, especially a building:
at the back of something, especially a building:
my dad demolished a shed in back of his barn.
off the back of British English
following or as a result of (something):
following or as a result of (something):
he was coming into this fight off the back of six consecutive defeats
I was signed off the back of my performances for Bristol.
– PHRASAL VERBS
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
the government backed away from the plan figurative.
back down withdraw a claim or assertion in the face of opposition:
party leaders backed down and rescinded the resolution.
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 English withdraw a claim or assertion in the face of opposition:
she has backed off on her earlier threat to shut down operations.
back on to (back on to something) (of a building or other structure) have its back facing or adjacent to something:
his garage wall backs on to the neighbouring property.
back up
1 (back someone or something up, back up someone or something) provide support for someone or something:
his mother backed him up on everything
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.
▪ (back something up, back up something) 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 into a queue due to congestion:
the traffic began to back up.
▪ (back something up, back up something) cause vehicles to form into a queue 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:
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.