back

/bæk/

/bæk/
IPA guide

Other forms: backs; backed; backing

Your back is your spine, or the rear part of your whole body. When you lie on the grass on your back, you can watch the clouds in the sky above you.

There are dozens of ways to use the word back. You might have back pain, or stroke your cat's back. Your clothing also has a back, and you have a figurative back: "Get off my back, Mom!" You could request a table at the back of a restaurant and then lean against the back of your chair. You can also "answer back," or reply, or choose to back a friend's fundraising project — give her money, in other words.

Definitions of back
  1. noun
    the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
    “his back was nicely tanned”
    synonyms: dorsum
    see moresee less
    type of:
    body part
    any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity
  2. noun
    the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
    “the fall broke his back”
    synonyms: backbone, rachis, spinal column, spine, vertebral column
    see moresee less
    types:
    notochord
    a flexible rodlike structure that forms the supporting axis of the body in the lowest chordates and lowest vertebrates and in embryos of higher vertebrates
    chine
    backbone of an animal
    urochord
    a notochord of a larval tunicate typically confined to the caudal region
    type of:
    skeletal structure
    any structure created by the skeleton of an organism
  3. noun
    the part of a garment that covers the back of your body
    “they pinned a `kick me' sign on his back”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    cloth covering
    a covering made of cloth
  4. noun
    a support that you can lean against while sitting
    “the back of the dental chair was adjustable”
    synonyms: backrest
    see moresee less
    types:
    cantle
    the back of a saddle seat
    ladder-back
    the backrest of a chair that consists of two uprights with connecting slats
    type of:
    support
    any device that bears the weight of another thing
  5. noun
    the side that goes last or is not normally seen
    “he wrote the date on the back of the photograph”
    synonyms: rear
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    front
    the side that is seen or that goes first
    types:
    after part, poop, quarter, stern, tail
    the rear part of a ship
    empennage, tail, tail assembly
    the rear part of an aircraft
    type of:
    side
    an extended outer surface of an object
  6. noun
    the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer
    “he stood at the back of the stage”
    synonyms: rear
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    front
    the part of something that is nearest to the normal viewer
    type of:
    place, position
    the particular portion of space occupied by something
  7. noun
    (football) a person who plays in the backfield
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 7 types...
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    flanker, flanker back
    a back stationed wide of the scrimmage line; used as a pass receiver
    field general, quarterback, signal caller
    (football) the person who plays quarterback
    running back
    (football) a back on the offensive team (a fullback or halfback) who tries to advance the ball by carrying it on plays from the line of scrimmage
    tailback
    (American football) the person who plays tailback
    wingback
    (football) the person who plays wingback
    fullback
    (football) the running back who plays the fullback position on the offensive team
    halfback
    (football) the running back who plays the offensive halfback position
    type of:
    football player, footballer
    an athlete who plays American football
  8. noun
    (American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage
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    types:
    show 6 types...
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    line backer, linebacker
    (American football) the position of a defensive football player who plays close behind the line of scrimmage
    field general, quarterback, signal caller
    (American football) the position of the football player in the backfield who directs the offensive play of his team
    fullback
    (American football) the position of a back on a football team
    halfback
    (American football) the position of a back on a football team
    tailback
    (American football) the position of the offensive back on a football team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage
    wingback
    (American football) the position of the offensive back who lines up behind or outside the end
    type of:
    position
    (in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player
  9. noun
    the protective covering on the front, back, and spine of a book
    synonyms: binding, book binding, cover
    see moresee less
    types:
    half binding
    book binding in which the spine and part of the sides are bound in one material and the rest in another
    three-quarter binding
    the spine and much of the sides are a different material from the rest of the cover
    type of:
    protection, protective cover, protective covering
    a covering that is intend to protect from damage or injury
  10. verb
    travel backward
    “back into the driveway”
    “The car backed up and hit the tree”
    see moresee less
    types:
    back out
    move out of a space backwards
    type of:
    go, locomote, move, travel
    change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
  11. verb
    cause to travel backward
    “back the car into the parking spot”
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    advance, bring forward
    cause to move forward
  12. verb
    be in back of
    “My garage backs their yard”
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    face, front, look
    be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to
    face
    be opposite
    show more antonyms...
    type of:
    lie
    be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
  13. verb
    strengthen by providing with a back or backing
    see moresee less
    type of:
    strengthen
    gain strength
  14. adjective
    related to or located at the back
    “the back yard”
    “the back entrance”
    synonyms:
    posterior
    located at or near or behind a part or near the end of a structure
    backmost, hindermost, hindmost, rearmost
    located farthest to the rear
    rear, rearward
    located in or toward the back or rear
    aft
    (nautical, aeronautical) situated at or toward the stern or tail
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    front
    relating to or located in the front
    anterior
    of or near the head end or toward the front plane of a body
    advance, advanced, in advance
    situated ahead or going before
    foremost, frontmost
    preceding all others in spatial position
    frontal, head-on
    meeting front to front
    first
    preceding all others in time or space or degree
    fore
    situated at or toward the bow of a vessel
    show more antonyms...
  15. adjective
    located at or near the back of an animal
    “back (or hind) legs”
    synonyms: hind, hinder
    posterior
    located at or near or behind a part or near the end of a structure
  16. adverb
    at or to or toward the back or rear
    “he moved back”
    synonyms: backward, backwards, rearward, rearwards
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    forrad, forrard, forward, forwards, frontward, frontwards
    at or to or toward the front
  17. adverb
    in or to or toward a former location
    “she went back to her parents' house”
  18. adverb
    in or to or toward a past time
    “set the clocks back an hour”
    “never look back”
    synonyms: backward
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    ahead, forward
    toward the future; forward in time
  19. adverb
    in or to or toward an original condition
    “he went back to sleep”
  20. adverb
    in reply
    “he wrote back three days later”
  21. adverb
    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”
  22. adjective
    of an earlier date
    “back issues of the magazine”
    synonyms:
    noncurrent
    not current or belonging to the present time
  23. verb
    be behind; approve of
    “I backed Kennedy in 1960”
    synonyms: endorse, indorse, plump for, plunk for, support
    endorse, indorse, second
    give support or one's approval to
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 4 types...
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    guarantee, warrant
    stand behind and guarantee the quality, accuracy, or condition of
    champion, defend
    protect or fight for as a champion
    cover, insure, underwrite
    protect by insurance
    certify, endorse, indorse
    guarantee as meeting a certain standard
    type of:
    O.K., approve, okay, sanction
    give sanction to
  24. verb
    give support or one's approval to
    “I can't back this plan”
    synonyms: endorse, indorse, second
    endorse, indorse, plump for, plunk for, support
    be behind; approve of
    see moresee less
    type of:
    back up, support
    give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to
  25. verb
    support financial backing for
    “back this enterprise”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    finance
    obtain or provide money for
  26. verb
    establish as valid or genuine
    “Can you back up your claims?”
    synonyms: back up
    see moresee less
    type of:
    affirm, confirm, corroborate, substantiate, support, sustain
    establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
  27. verb
    place a bet on
    “Which horse are you backing?”
    synonyms: bet on, gage, game, punt, stake
    see moresee less
    types:
    ante
    place one's stake
    double up, parlay
    stake winnings from one bet on a subsequent wager
    type of:
    bet, play, wager
    stake on the outcome of an issue
  28. verb
    shift to a counterclockwise direction
    “the wind backed”
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    veer
    shift to a clockwise direction
    type of:
    change over, shift, switch
    make a shift in or exchange of
Pronunciation
US

/bæk/
UK

/bæk/
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