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Glite Dictionary
swayback

swayback

9.5
Having a bent, sagging back often seen in older horses
  • adjective
  • /ˈsweɪˌbæk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : jorobado
  • The trainer reported that the pony's swayback made it difficult for him to carry a saddle comfortably.

Examples

  • Many horses with a swayback struggle to perform well in competitions due to their spine's abnormal curve.

  • The veterinarian explained that the horse had a swayback, which affected its overall health and movement.

  • The whole place was swayback because the termites had eaten out the joists and side beams.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

swaybacked
vsswayback
  • Specialized
1 9.5

Having a sagging spine that curves down, often in older animals

has identical meaning but is the noun form rather than the adjective
dipped
vsswayback
  • Specialized
9.9

A horse with a back that sags downward in the middle

is broader and covers both downward curvature and sagging of the spine
lordotic
vsswayback
  • Specialized
9.9

A larger than normal inward curve in the lower back

refers to downward sagging of the spine rather than inward curvature

Antonyms

straight
442 1.0

In a direct line without curves or bends

upright
44 2.7

Standing straight up and not leaning

How Curved

hollow-back
  • Specialized
9.6
swayback
  • Specialized
9.5
arched
4 3.2

Surface Forms

swayback positive

Morphology

swayback = sway + back (semi-transparent) = sway + back

Formally a compound of 'sway' + 'back' whose components are clear, but the specific pathological meaning ('abnormal downward curvature' in animals) is a specialized sense not guaranteed to be obvious to general learners.

Etymology

Swayback comes from the words sway ('to bend or move') and back ('the spine'), so it pictures a back that bends or sags. That is why swayback means an abnormal downward curve of the spine, often seen in horses.