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Glite Dictionary
back bearing

back bearing

6.8
A direction directly opposite the one you found that you use to check your position
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : dirección opuesta
  • By using a back bearing, the team confirmed their exact location on the map.

Examples

  • Take a back bearing!

  • A back bearing is helpful when retracing your steps in unfamiliar terrain.

  • The navigator took a back bearing to ensure they were on the correct route.

  • The back bearing was crucial for confirming our position on the map.

  • When navigating the coastline, it's crucial to check your back bearing to avoid drifting off course.

  • The captain ordered the crew to take a back bearing after noticing they had strayed from their intended path.

  • To confirm their location, the sailor carefully calculated the back bearing based on their current position.

Surface Forms

back bearing singular
back bearings plural

Morphology

back + bearing

The meaning 'a direction exactly opposite to a given bearing' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'back' (behind/opposite) with 'bearing' (a heading or compass direction). This is a straightforward compositional pattern common in navigation terminology and across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Back bearing comes from navigation. The words back and bearing give a simple, literal image: you point your compass in the 'opposite' direction to check where you came from. That's why a back bearing is used to 'confirm' your position or help you go back along your route.