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back

1.0
The rear part of a person's or animal's body
  • noun
  • /bæk/
translation icon : espalda
  • This guy had a tattoo on his back of Angel wings.
  • back pain
  • front and back
  • lower back

This guy had a tattoo on his back of Angel wings.

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Examples

  • The hairs on the back of my neck, okay, sizzling.

  • I got into the back of the car.

  • Why would you want your back to look so long?

  • So First off, the back of this feels so good.

  • So the big one goes on my back, obviously.

  • The body lay on its back.

  • One day he walked up to the back door for a visit with Pop.

    Academic text (1999)
  • And let's just say my back was a little bit painful.

  • I've got some clothes in the back room.

  • The doctor examined the rash on the back of the patient.

Synonyms

rear
vsback
270 1.0

The back part of something, like a car or building

is the common everyday word for that same part
backside
vsback
26 1.6

The rear side of something like a building or card

is a more general term for the same opposite side
back end
vsback
2 3.8

The rear part of something opposite the front

is more general covering the opposite side of people animals and places
dorsum
vsback
  • Specialized
1 9.9

The top surface of an animal or body part that faces up

is broader applying to any side opposite the front not only upper body surfaces
backend
vsback
1 4.4

The back part of something, often a car or building, and the final stage of a project

is the general spatial term for the side opposite the front

Antonyms

1.0

The part of something that faces forward toward a person or entrance

Idioms

374 2.0

Moving one way and then the other again and again

back in the day
  • Informal
74 5.5

A time in the past people remember with warm feelings, often when they were young

A point after which you cannot go back or undo a decision

Returned to taking part after being away or having problems

28 6.9

To praise yourself too much for something you did

way back when
  • Informal
22 7.3

A long time ago

18 4.3

In a secret way without someone knowing, often to hurt them

16 5.0

Kept for later and given lower priority

15 5.5

Become successful or active again after a long time away

Because of something, often a success, something else happens

Know a place or thing very well because you have seen it many times

12 4.3

To start again after a failure

11 5.2

To go back to an earlier time or wish you could

Knowing a place or subject very well

To go to a place and back again

Lying on the back on the ground because someone is tired, hurt, or sick

Start again from the beginning when a plan or idea fails

6 5.0

To try again after a failure, especially when you feel afraid

5 8.1

Someone keeps something secret to use later for an advantage

from way back
  • Informal
5 7.7

Since a long time ago

To start doing your normal work and activities after a break

Look out for each other in dangerous situations

2 7.2

Able to work well again after a break

back to the wall
  • Informal
2 7.6

In a situation with very few choices where you must try hard to survive or win

2 8.7

A problem that stays with you and causes worry

To have very hard times and still survive

To try to undo something you cannot change

A style that looks formal at the front and casual at the back

To annoy someone or make them feel defensive

So generous that they would give almost everything to help others

Try to make things the way they were after they changed

1 6.3

Feel very strong love for someone

6.0

To work very hard at something until you are very tired

Surprised and not ready to deal with a sudden problem

9.6

To be told off strongly or to listen very carefully

back end of a bus
  • Offensive
9.9

Something that looks very ugly and unpleasant

To notice things happening behind you without turning around

A face that people think is very ugly

To get things someone probably stole and sold cheaply

To know something very well and do it easily

Does not let criticism or insults affect them

Do something that causes trouble for yourself later

Support and protect someone in hard times

9.0

Not upset or harmed when something happens to someone else

To make someone angry or ready to argue

A future problem someone creates for themselves that causes trouble later

6.9

Make someone feel young again when they remember the past

8.6

In a weak position after a problem or unexpected event

To do something easily even with serious problems

Progress that bigger problems later undo

Treat someone in the same bad way they treated you

A person who gives all they have to help others

Compounds

163 1.0

A door at the back of a building used as an extra entrance

out back
  • Informal
112 2.3

The area outside at the back of a building or house

72 3.4

A room at the back of a shop or office used for private meetings with a few people

running back
  • Jargon
60 2.8

A player in American football who runs with the ball to gain yards for the team

45 3.7

Happening one after another with no break between them

23 2.3

A covered area outside at the back door of a house

back burner
  • Informal
20 3.9

A task or plan kept for later because it is not urgent

18 3.1

A small quiet road used to avoid traffic and reach local homes

16 2.7

A narrow street behind buildings used as a shortcut

16 5.9

A secret way to enter a system or place by avoiding security

15 3.6

Calling someone again after missing their call or message

10 1.8

A door at the back of a building that people use to enter

A promise from a seller to give back the full price if you are not satisfied

back office
  • Jargon
7 3.7

A part of a company that does office and support work away from customers

back end
  • Specialized
5 3.7

The part of a program that runs on a server and stores and processes data

5 3.3

A narrow street behind main streets that few people use

back channel
  • Literature
4 7.7

A secret way to talk privately between governments or leaders

The back part of a goal where the ball goes when a player scores

back talk
  • Informal
4 7.2

Rude replies people give to someone in charge

3 3.0

The movement of a ball or object after it hits a surface and comes back

back brace
  • Specialized
3 3.9

A device you wear around your back to support it and help you sit or stand straight

3 3.5

An order for goods not in stock that are sent later

back pocket
  • Informal
2 4.2

A plan kept ready to use in case of need

Made quickly and simply to give a rough calculation or plan

2 3.8

The rear part of something opposite the front

1 2.2

A tooth at the back of the mouth, like a molar

1 3.4

A quick recovery after a setback

1 5.7

A remote wild area far from towns and roads

1 9.8

A place far from towns and people

1 4.3

Showing quick recovery after a setback

bounce-back
  • Texting
1 3.7

An automatic message that tells the sender their email was not delivered

call-back
  • Jargon
1 4.1

Asking workers who were laid off to return to work

Three events happening one after another without a break

call-back
  • Specialized
1 5.9

A piece of code given to another function to run later when an action finishes

A move that makes the muscles in your back stronger

1 9.6

A distant part of a farm often about forty acres used for grazing or crops

back judge
  • Jargon
1 5.5

An official in American football who stands deep behind defenders to watch the play and enforce rules

back matter
  • Specialized
1 6.0

Sections at the end of a book that give extra information like appendices and an index

1 3.6

Relating to the countryside and a simple, not fancy way of life

1 8.9

A person who works secretly to influence decisions

back-blast
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A strong flow of hot gas pushed back from a fired weapon that can injure people behind it

back-seat driver
  • Offensive
1 5.3

A person who gives unwanted advice while someone else does a task

A wooden chair with a back made of several flat horizontal pieces

1 7.8

A chair with a back made of horizontal slats like a ladder

water back
  • Archaic
1 8.9

A tank behind a stove or fireplace that heats water for home use

back bearing
  • Specialized
6.8

A direction directly opposite the one you found that you use to check your position

9.9

An illegal drug that makes you see things that are not real

back circle
  • Specialized
9.3

A gymnastics move where a person lies on their back, arches their back and brings their feet to their head

Exercise where you bend your upper body back to strengthen the lower back

7.2

A less-used hallway at the back of a building that people use for private or service access

back saw
  • Specialized
6.0

A saw with a stiff top edge used for making small, precise cuts in wood

back stance
  • Specialized
6.7

A martial arts position with the back leg bent and the front leg straight for balance and quick movement

8.4

The area where the lower back meets the bottom

A person well known in a small group, often a supporting actor in theatre

A person who secretly breaks into computer systems to steal information

back vowel
  • Specialized
7.0

A vowel you make with the tongue near the back of the mouth, like the 'o' in pole

back yer
  • Specialized
9.9

A Cyrillic letter written as Ъ or ъ that shows a hard consonant sound

back-formation
  • Specialized
8.6

A word made by removing an ending from a longer word

back-number
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who is no longer important or fashionable

back-patty
  • Slang
9.9

A small private action of praising yourself for something you did

7.4

A secret plan you keep to use if the main plan fails

flanker back
  • Jargon
7.7

An American football player who stands near the sideline to catch passes

laid-back friend
  • Informal
3.0

A friend who is relaxed and does not get stressed easily

9.1

A return to an earlier style or idea

hollow-back
  • Specialized
9.6

A deep inward curve in the lower back that changes posture

relation back
  • Formal
9.9

Treating a later court document as filed on an earlier date

pass-back
  • Specialized
3.2

A ball moved backward to a teammate to keep possession

4.2

Sending a file back to the person who handled it before for review

set-back
  • Specialized
8.3

A part of a building where the wall becomes narrower in steps

A pain in the back muscles that comes after lifting or sudden movement

How Forward

leading edge
  • Specialized
4 5.3
front end
4 3.6
middle
1.0
back
1.0

Surface Forms

back singular
backs plural

Etymology

Back comes from the old English word bæc meaning 'rear', so the back of a person or object is the rear part opposite the front.