Back Word Meaning

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

the rear surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips

rear surface of human body

• he lay on his back
• Forbes slapped me on the back
• back pain

the side or part of something that is away from the spectator or from the direction in which it moves or faces; the rear

rear of something

• at the back of the hotel is a secluded garden
• a rubber dinghy with an engine at the back

a player in a team game who plays in a defensive position behind the forwards

sports player in defensive position

• their backs showed some impressive running and passing

the grounds of Cambridge colleges which back on to the River Cam.

grounds of Cambridge colleges

in the opposite direction from the one that one is facing or travelling towards

away from front or centre

• he moved back a pace
• she walked away without looking back

so as to return to an earlier or normal position or condition

as before

• she put the book back on the shelf
• he drove to Glasgow and back in a day
• things were back to normal

in or into the past

in or into past

• he made his fortune back in 1955

in return

in return

• they wrote back to me

give financial, material, or moral support to

give support to

• he had a newspaper empire backing him

walk or drive backwards

walk or drive backwards

• I put the car in reverse and backed down the road

cover the back of (an article) in order to support, protect, or decorate it

cover back of article

• a mirror backed with tortoiseshell

lie behind or at the back of

lie at back of

• the promenade is backed by lots of cafes

of or at the back of something

of or at back

• the back garden
• the back pocket of his jeans

from or relating to the past

relating to past

• she was owed back pay

directed towards the rear or in a reversed course

towards rear

• a back header

(of a sound) articulated at the back of the mouth

relating to phonetics

• a long back vowel, as in 'dance' or 'bath'