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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

back.

At or near the rear.

4 characters1 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

adj/bæk/General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bæk]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bak]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[-k̚]General-American, Received-Pronunciation
  1. At or near the rear.

    not-comparable · usually
    Go in the back door of the house.
  2. Returned or restored to a previous place or condition.

    not-comparable · predicative · usually
    He was on vacation, but now he’s back.
    The office fell into chaos when you left, but now order is back.
  3. Not current.

    not-comparable · usually
    I’d like to find a back issue of that magazine.
  4. Situated away from the main or most frequented areas.

    not-comparable · usually
    They took a back road.
    He lives out in the back country.
  5. In arrears; overdue.

    not-comparable · usually
    They still owe three months’ back rent.
  6. Moving or operating backward.

    not-comparable · usually
    back action
  7. 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).

    comparable · not-comparable · usually
    The vowel of lot has a back vowel in most dialects of England.
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-der.? Proto-Germanic *baką Proto-West Germanic *bak Old English bæc Middle English bak English back From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *baką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback. Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”).

adv/bæk/General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bæk]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bak]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[-k̚]General-American, Received-Pronunciation
  1. To or in a previous condition or place.

    not-comparable
    He gave back the money.
    I left my mobile phone back at the hotel. I’ll have to go back and get it.
  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 fell back.
    The grandfather clock toppled back and crashed to the ground.
  3. In a direction opposite to the usual or desired direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively.

    Wind the film back a few frames.
    Don’t forget to put the clocks back by one hour tonight!
  4. Towards, into or in the past.

    These records go back years.
    He built a time machine and travelled back to 1800.
  5. Away from someone or something; at a distance.

    Keep back! It could explode at any moment!
  6. Away from the front or from an edge (of something or someone).

    Sit all the way back in your chair.
    Step back from the curb.
  7. So as to shrink, recede or move aside, or cause to do so.

    This tree is dying back.
    Clear back all this vegetation.
  8. In a manner that impedes.

    Fear held him back.
  9. In a reciprocal manner; in return.

    not-comparable
    If you hurt me, I’ll hurt you back.
    The light bounces back off the mirror.
  10. Earlier, ago.

    postpositional
    We met many years back.
    I last saw him a day or two back.
  11. To a later point in time. See also put back.

    The meeting has been moved back an hour. It was at 3 o’clock; now it's at 4 o’clock.
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-der.? Proto-Germanic *baką Proto-West Germanic *bak Old English bæc Middle English bak English back From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *baką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback. Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”).

noun/bæk/General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bæk]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bak]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[-k̚]General-American, Received-Pronunciation
  1. The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.

    countable · uncountable
    Could you please scratch my back?
  2. The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly. The spine and associated tissues.

    countable · uncountable
    I hurt my back lifting those crates.
  3. The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly. Large and attractive buttocks.

    slang · uncountable
  4. The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly. The part of a piece of clothing which covers the back.

    countable · figuratively · uncountable
    I still need to finish the back of your dress.
  5. The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly. The backrest, the part of a piece of furniture which receives the human back.

    countable · uncountable
    Can you fix the back of this chair?
  6. The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly. That part of the body that bears clothing. (Now used only in the phrase clothes on one's back.)

    countable · obsolete · uncountable
  7. That which is farthest away from the front.

    countable · uncountable
    He sat in the back of the room.
  8. That which is farthest away from the front. The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side.

    countable · uncountable
    Turn the book over and look at the back.
  9. That which is farthest away from the front. The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side. The edge of a book which is bound.

    countable · uncountable
    The titles are printed on the backs of the books.
  10. That which is farthest away from the front. The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side. The inside margin of a page.

    countable · uncountable
  11. That which is farthest away from the front. The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side. The side of a blade opposite the side used for cutting.

    countable · uncountable
    Tap it with the back of your knife.
  12. That which is farthest away from the front. The reverse side; the side that is not normally seen.

    countable · uncountable
    I hung the clothes on the back of the door.
  13. That which is farthest away from the front. Area behind, such as the backyard of a house or the rear storeroom of a retail store.

    countable · uncountable
    We’ll meet out in the back of the library.
    Are you sure you're totally out of hair gel? Could you please check in the back?
  14. That which is farthest away from the front. The part of something that goes last.

    countable · uncountable
    The car was near the back of the train.
  15. That which is farthest away from the front. In some team sports, a position behind most players on the team.

    countable · uncountable
    The backs were lined up in an I formation.
  16. The upper part of a natural object which is considered to resemble an animal’s back.

    countable · figuratively · uncountable
    The small boat raced over the backs of the waves.
  17. A support or resource in reserve.

    countable · uncountable
  18. The keel and keelson of a ship.

    countable · uncountable
    The ship’s back broke in the pounding surf.
  19. The roof of a horizontal underground passage.

    countable · uncountable
  20. Effort, usually physical.

    slang · uncountable
    Put some back into it!
  21. A non-alcoholic drink (often water or a soft drink), to go with hard liquor or a cocktail.

    countable · uncountable
    Could I get a martini with a water back?
  22. Among leather dealers, one of the thickest and stoutest tanned hides.

    countable · uncountable
  23. Clipping of backstroke.

    abbreviation · alt-of · clipping · countable · uncountable
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-der.? Proto-Germanic *baką Proto-West Germanic *bak Old English bæc Middle English bak English back From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *baką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback. Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”).

verb/bæk/General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bæk]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bak]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[-k̚]General-American, Received-Pronunciation
  1. To go in the reverse direction.

    intransitive
    The train backed into the station.
    The horse refuses to back.
  2. To support.

    transitive
    I back you all the way.
    Which horse are you backing in this race?
  3. To change direction contrary to the normal pattern; that is, to shift anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, or clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

  4. To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.

  5. To lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power.

  6. To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.

    UK
  7. To push or force backwards.

    transitive
    to back oxen
    The mugger backed her into a corner and demanded her wallet.
  8. To get upon the back of; to mount.

    obsolete · transitive
  9. To place or seat upon the back.

    obsolete · transitive
  10. To make a back for; to furnish with a back.

    to back books
  11. To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.

  12. To write upon the back of, possibly as an endorsement.

    to back a letter;  to back a note or legal document
  13. To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).

  14. To row backward with (oars).

    to back the oars
  15. To draw from behind the back (a knife etc.) (as also back out).

    Multicultural-London-English · transitive
  16. To carry an infant on one’s back.

    Nigeria · transitive
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-der.? Proto-Germanic *baką Proto-West Germanic *bak Old English bæc Middle English bak English back From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *baką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback. Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”).

noun/bæk/General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bæk]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[bak]General-American, Received-Pronunciation[-k̚]General-American, Received-Pronunciation
  1. 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.

  2. A ferryboat.

Where this word comes from

Borrowed from French bac.

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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.

Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.