• (Received Pronunciation,General American)IPA^(key):/bæk/,[bæk],[bak],[-k̚],[-ˀk]

• Audio(General American):

  (file)

• (Scouse)IPA^(key):[bax]
• (Canada)IPA^(key):[bak],[bäk]
• Rhymes:-æk

FromMiddle Englishbak, fromOld Englishbæc, fromProto-West Germanic*bak, fromProto-Germanic*baką, possibly fromProto-Indo-European*bʰeg-(“to bend”). The adverb represents anaphetic form ofaback.

CompareMiddle Low Germanbak(“back”), from Old Saxonbak, andWest Frisianbekling(“chair back”),Old High Germanbah,Swedish andNorwegianbak. Cognate withGermanBache(“sow [adult female hog]”).

back (not generallycomparable,comparativemoreback,superlativemostback)

1. At or near therear.

   Go in theback door of the house.

   • 1918,W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIX, inThe Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.:The Bobbs-Merrill Company,→OCLC:

     Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins andback premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.

2. (predicative) Returned or restored to aprevious place or condition.

   He was on vacation, but now he’sback.

   The office fell into chaos when you left, but now order isback.

3. Not current.

   I’d like to find aback issue of that magazine.

4. Situated away from the main or most frequented areas.

   They took aback road.

   He lives out in theback country.

   It's OK that the highway is jammed, because I know aback way. It's another good way to get there.

5. In arrears; overdue.

   They still owe three months’back rent.

   • 1980 December 20, David Lamble, “Workers, Owners Battle It Out At SF Gay Hotel”, inGay Community News, volume 8, number22, page 9:

     Several of the former Hotel York workers have filed with the California Labor Division to collect what they feel is owed them in the way ofback overtime.

6. Moving or operatingbackward.

   back action

8. (comparable,phonetics)Pronounced with the highest part of the body of thetongue toward the back of themouth, near thesoft palate (most often describing avowel).

   The vowel oflot has aback vowel in most dialects of England.

• In linguistic use describing the position of the tongue, the comparativebacker and superlativebackest are usual; these may also be occasionally found for other senses, especially informally.

• (near the rear):rear
• (not current):former,previous

• (antonym(s) of“near the rear, phonetics”):front
• (antonym(s) of“not current”):current
• (antonym(s) of“away from the main area”):main(of roads)

• back vowel

back (comparativefurtherback,superlativefurthestback)

1. (not comparable) To or in aprevious condition or place.

   He gaveback the money.

   I left my mobile phoneback at the hotel. I’ll have to goback and get it.

   • 1897 December (indicated as1898),Winston Churchill, chapter II, inThe Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.:The Macmillan Company; London:Macmillan & Co., Ltd.,→OCLC:

     We droveback to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case. Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.

   • 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, inThe Economist, volume407, number8839, page52:

     From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls datingback to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.

2. In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.

   Someone pushed me in the chest and I fellback.

   The grandfather clock toppledback and crashed to the ground.

   Her arm was bentback at an odd angle.

3. In a direction opposite to the usual or desired direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively.

   Wind the filmback a few frames.

   Don’t forget to put the clocksback by one hour tonight!

   This mishap has set the projectback considerably.

4. Towards, into or in the past.

   These records goback years.

   He built a time machine and travelledback to 1800.

   Thinkback to how you felt last year.

   Everything was simplerback in the old days.

5. Away from someone or something; at a distance.

   Keepback! It could explode at any moment!

6. Away from the front or from an edge.

   Sit all the wayback in your chair.

   Stepback from the curb.

   • 1913,Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, inMr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London:D[aniel] Appleton and Company,→OCLC:

     Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path […]. It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And,back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights. 'Twas the house I'd seen the roof of from the beach.

7. So as to shrink, recede or move aside, or cause to do so.

   This tree is dyingback.

   Clearback all this vegetation.

   Drawback the curtains and let in some light.

8. In a manner thatimpedes.

   Fear held himback.

9. (not comparable) In areciprocal manner;in return.

   If you hurt me, I’ll hurt youback.

   The light bouncesback off the mirror.

   • 2006 May 9,Penn Jillette,Michael Goudeau, quoting Pat, 34:52 from the start, inPenn Radio‎^[1]:

     I was at Park Safari Africa in Canada on the Canadian border. This was years ago outside of Plattsburgh, New York. And I had a new car at the time, and I was driving through, going through the monkey area. And they said 'beware of the monkeys.' So about ten of them circled my car. And this one special one, like he was the leader of the pack, jumped up on the hood and came right up to the windshield and looked in. So I was like making faces at him. [garbled] 'don't do that!' And believe it or not, he made like a faceback. He jumped off the car. He took his fingernails and he peeled all the chrome on both sides of my car off. Picked it up, jumped on the hood, dropped it and left- looked at me and left.

10. (postpositive)Earlier,ago.

    We met many yearsback.

    I last saw him a day or twoback.

    • 1822, John Woods,Two Years' Residence in the Settlement on the English Prairie, in the Illinois Country, United States, page138:

      Our road was chiefly through woods, and part of it lay through the Hurricane-track, that is where a strong wind, some yearsback, opened a passage through the woods for a mile in breadth...

11. To a later point in time.See alsoput back.

    The meeting has been movedback an hour. It was at 3 o’clock; now it's at 4 o’clock.

• spring forward, fall back

back (pluralbacks)

2. The rear of thebody, especially the part between theneck and the end of thespine and opposite thechest andbelly.

   Could you please scratch myback?

   • 1879,R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, inThe Amateur Poacher, London:Smith, Elder, & Co., […],→OCLC:

     It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with theback turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.

   1. Thespine and associated tissues.

      I hurt myback lifting those crates.

   2. (slang,uncountable) Large and attractivebuttocks.
      • 1992, “Baby Got Back”,Sir Mix-A-Lot (lyrics):

        Take the average black man and ask him that.
        She gotta pack muchback.

      • 2002,George Pelecanos,Right as Rain: A Novel,→ISBN, page123:

        He got his hand on her behind and caressed her firm, ample flesh.[…]“You got someback on you, girl.”

      • 2016 February 14,Joseph Adenuga,Darren Dixon,Tariq Devega, “Ladies Hit Squad” (track 6), inKonnichiwa, performed bySkepta ft.D Double E andASAP Nast,Boy Better Know:

        Back so big, look like your jeans shrunk in the wash / And we don't really need Netflix, I'mma give you something to watch

   3. (figurative) The part of a piece of clothing which covers the back.

      I still need to finish theback of your dress.

   5. Thebackrest, the part of a piece of furniture which receives the human back.

      Can you fix theback of this chair?

   6. (obsolete) That part of the body that bears clothing. (Now used only in the phraseclothes on one's back.)
      • 1604,William Shakespeare,Measure for Measure:

        Do thou but think / What ’tis to cram a maw or clothe aback / From such a filthy vice

3. That which isfarthest away from the front.

   He sat in theback of the room.

   1. The side of any object which is opposite thefront or useful side.

      Turn the book over and look at theback.

      2. The edge of a book which isbound.

         The titles are printed on thebacks of the books.

      3. (printing) The insidemargin of a page.
         • 1841,William Savage,A Dictionary of the Art of Printing, Ayer Publishing, published1965,→ISBN, page472:

           Convenience and custom have familiarised us to the printed page being a little higher than the middle of the leaf, and to its having a little more margin at the fore edge than in theback.

      4. The side of ablade opposite the side used for cutting.

         Tap it with theback of your knife.

   2. Thereverse side; the side that is not normally seen.

      I hung the clothes on theback of the door.

   3. Area behind, such as thebackyard of a house or the rearstoreroom of a retailstore.

      We’ll meet out in theback of the library.

      Are you sure you're totally out of hair gel? Could you please check in theback?

   4. The part of something that goeslast.

      The car was near theback of the train.

   5. (sports) In someteam sports, a position behind most players on the team.

      Thebacks were lined up in an I formation.

      • 2010 December 28, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1-3 Blackburn”, inBBC:

        […]Rovers were also aided by some poor defending from West Brom, whose lapses at theback undid their excellent work on the ball and condemned Roberto di Matteo's Baggies side to a third straight defeat.

4. (figuratively) The upper part of a natural object which is considered to resemble an animal’s back.

   The small boat raced over thebacks of the waves.

5. A support or resource in reserve.
   • c.1599–1602 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene vii]:

     This project / Should have aback or second, that might hold, / If this should blast in proof.

6. (nautical) Thekeel andkeelson of a ship.

   The ship’sback broke in the pounding surf.

7. (mining) The roof of a horizontal underground passage.
   • 1911, Robert Bruce Brinsmade,Mining Without Timber, page161:

     The stope is kept full of broken ore, sufficient only being drawn to leave a working space between the floor of broken ore and theback of the stope.

8. (slang,uncountable) Effort, usually physical.

   Put someback into it!

9. A non-alcoholic drink (often water or a soft drink), to go with hard liquor or a cocktail.

   Could I get a martini with a waterback?

10. Amongleatherdealers, one of the thickest and stoutest tannedhides.
    • 1848, Maine Supreme Judicial Court,Maine Reports, volume 6, page397:

      […]as delivered by a tanner the average weight of aback and two strips would be about 42 pounds […].

11. (swimming)Clipping ofbackstroke.

• (side opposite the visible side):reverse
• (rear of the body):dorsum
• (bound edge of book):spine

• (antonym(s) of“side opposite the front or useful side”):front
• (antonym(s) of“that which is farthest away from the front”):front

• (lower rear of the body):SeeThesaurus:buttocks

• (non-alcoholic drink):chaser

• bacon

back (third-person singular simple presentbacks,present participlebacking,simple past and past participlebacked)

1. (intransitive) To go in thereversedirection.

   The trainbacked into the station.

   The horse refuses toback.

   • 1913,Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, inMr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London:D[aniel] Appleton and Company,→OCLC:

     Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you’re run off your course again. This is a rich man’s summer ‘cottage’ […].” So I started toback away again into the bushes. But I hadn’tbacked more’n a couple of yards when I see something so amazing that I couldn’t help scooching down behind the bayberries and looking at it.

   • 1954 January, H. P. White, “Vignettes of the Rail”, inRailway Magazine, page 54, at Harmon station, New York:

     No sooner had a waiting locomotivebacked on to its train, the vociferous 4-6-4 or 4-8-4 re-emerged from under the bridge, and the two red marker lights on the last vehicles passed, than the headlight of the electric engine hauling the following train could be seen under the bridge and the waiting queue of locomotives had moved up one.

2. (transitive) Tosupport.

   Iback you all the way.

   Which horse are youbacking in this race?

   • 2012 June 9, Owen Phillips, “Euro 2012: Netherlands 0-1 Denmark”, inBBC Sport:

     And Netherlands,backed by a typically noisy and colourful travelling support, started the second period in blistering fashion and could have had four goals within 10 minutes

   • 2022 September 15, “China lodges complaint as U.S. Senate panel advances Taiwan bill”, inReuters‎^[2], archived fromthe original on15 September 2022, Asia Pacific:

     The Senate Foreign Relations Committeebacked the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 by 17-5, despite concerns about the bill in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration and anger about the measure from Beijing.

3. (nautical, of the wind) Tochangedirectioncontrary to thenormalpattern; that is, to shiftanticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, orclockwise in the southern hemisphere.
4. (nautical, of a square sail) Tobrace theyards so that thewind presses on thefront of the sail, toslow theship.
5. (nautical, of an anchor) To lay out a second, smalleranchor to provide additional holding power.
6. (UK, of a hunting dog) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.
7. (transitive) To push or force backwards.

   toback oxen

   The muggerbacked her into a corner and demanded her wallet.

   • 1887, Harriet W. Daly,Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page279:

     The soil seems to be very good; the creek runs through the reserve, and has a dam thrown across it, whichbacks the water for a very considerable distance, and enables them to irrigate a portion of their cultivation block.

8. (transitive,obsolete) To get upon the back of; tomount.
   • c.1597 (date written),William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act II, scene iii]:

     I willback him [a horse] straight.

   • 1902, John Buchan,The Outgoing of the Tide:

     The horse was the grey stallion he aye rode, the very beast he had ridden for many a wager with the wild lads of the Cross Keys. No man but himself durstback it, and it had lamed many a hostler lad and broke two necks in its day.

9. (transitive,obsolete) To place or seat upon the back.
   • 1611 April (first recorded performance),William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act V, scene v]:

     Great Jupiter, upon his eaglebacked, / Appeared to me.

10. To make a back for; to furnish with a back.

    toback books

11. To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.
    • c.1603–1604 (date written),William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard, andEd[ward] Blount, published1623,→OCLC,[Act IV, scene i]:

      He hath a garden circummured with brick,
      Whose western side is with a vineyardbacked

    • 1877,Thomas Henry Huxley,Physiography: An Introduction to the Study of Nature:

      the chalk cliffs whichback the beach

    • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, inZollenstein, New York, N.Y.:D. Appleton & Company,→OCLC:

      So this was my future home, I thought![…]Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one’s dreams.

    • 1960 December, Voyageur, “The Mountain Railways of the Bernese Oberland”, inTrains Illustrated, page752:

      So we continue climbing to the saddle of the Kleine Scheidegg, where ahead there comes into view the wide expanse of the Grindelwald valley,backed by the snowy crown of the Wetterhorn.

12. To write upon the back of, possibly as anendorsement.

    toback a letter;  toback a note or legal document

13. (law, of a justice of the peace) To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).
14. Torowbackward with (oars).

    toback the oars

15. (MLE,transitive) Todraw frombehind the back (aknife etc.)(as alsoback out).
    • 2017 August 4, “Sticks and Stones”‎^[3]performed byZone 2 (Kwengface x Trizzac x PS):

      Sticks and Stones may break my bones
      Not when Iback this botty

    • 2020 August 13, TwoLzz, “TwentyTwo”‎^[4],1:14–1:18:

      When Iback this blade, wallahi
      The hearts get beat like they just saw jihadi

16. (Nigeria,transitive) Tocarry aninfant on one’s back.

• (antonym(s) of“nautical: of the wind”):veer