back
/bæk/ · noun
Meaning
- The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.
- That which is farthest away from the front.
- Upper part of a natural object which is considered to resemble an animal's back.
- A support or resource in reserve.
- The keel and keelson of a ship.
- The roof of a horizontal underground passage.
- To go in the reverse direction.
- To support.
- (of the wind) To change direction contrary to the normal pattern; that is, to shift anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, or clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
- (of a square sail) To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.
- (of an anchor) To lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power.
- (of a hunting dog) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.
- Near the rear.
- Not current.
- Far from the main area.
- In arrear; overdue.
- Moving or operating backward.
- Pronounced with the highest part of the body of the tongue toward the back of the mouth, near the soft palate (most often describing a vowel).
- To or in a previous condition or place.
- Away from the front or from an edge.
- In a manner that impedes.
- In a reciprocal manner; in return.
- Earlier, ago.
- A large shallow vat; a cistern, tub, or trough, used by brewers, distillers, dyers, picklers, gluemakers, and others, for mixing or cooling wort, holding water, hot glue, etc.
- A ferryboat.
Etymology / origin
No prose etymology has been added yet.
No ancestor words have been linked yet.
Related words
Descendant words
No descendant words have been linked yet.