# back
## English
### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA: /bæk/, [bæk], [bak], [-k̚], [-ˀk]
* Audio (General American):(file)
* (Scouse) IPA: [bax]
* (Canada) IPA: [bak], [bäk]
* Rhymes: -æk

### Etymology 1

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]”).

#### Adjective

back (not generally comparable, comparative more back, superlative most back)
* At or near the rear.
    Go in the back door of the house.
** 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIX, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.
* (predicative) Returned or restored to a previous place or condition.
    He was on vacation, but now he’s back.
    The office fell into chaos when you left, but now order is back.
* Not current.
    I’d like to find a back issue of that magazine.
* Situated away from the main or most frequented areas.
    They took a back road.
    He lives out in the back country.
    It's OK that the highway is jammed, because I know a back way. It's another good way to get there.
* In arrears; overdue.
    They still owe three months’ back rent.
** 1980 December 20, David Lamble, “Workers, Owners Battle It Out At SF Gay Hotel”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 22, page 9:Several of the former Hotel York workers have filed with the California Labor Division to collect what they feel is owed them in the way of back overtime.
* Moving or operating backward.
    back action
* (comparable, phonetics) 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).
    The vowel of lot has a back vowel in most dialects of England.

##### Usage notes

* In linguistic use describing the position of the tongue, the comparative backer and superlative backest are usual; these may also be occasionally found for other senses, especially informally.

##### Synonyms

* (near the rear): rear
* (not current): former, previous

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “near the rear, phonetics”): front
* (antonym(s) of “not current”): current
* (antonym(s) of “away from the main area”): main (of roads)

##### Derived terms

* back alley
* back door
* back room
* backway

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

##### See also

* back vowel

#### Adverb

back (comparative further back, superlative furthest back)
* (not comparable) To or in a previous condition or place.
    He gave back the money.
    I left my mobile phone back at the hotel. I’ll have to go back and get it.
** 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:We drove back to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case. Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.
** 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.
* 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.
    Her arm was bent back at an odd angle.
* 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!
    This mishap has set the project back considerably.
* Towards, into or in the past.
    These records go back years.
    He built a time machine and travelled back to 1800.
    Think back to how you felt last year.
    Everything was simpler back in the old days.
* Away from someone or something; at a distance.
    Keep back! It could explode at any moment!
* Away from the front or from an edge.
    Sit all the way back in your chair.
    Step back from the curb.
** 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path […]. It twisted and turned, […] and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights. 'Twas the house I'd seen the roof of from the beach.
* So as to shrink, recede or move aside, or cause to do so.
    This tree is dying back.
    Clear back all this vegetation.
    Draw back the curtains and let in some light.
* In a manner that impedes.
    Fear held him back.
* (not comparable) In a reciprocal manner; in return.
    If you hurt me, I’ll hurt you back.
    The light bounces back off the mirror.
** 2006 May 9, Penn Jillette, Michael Goudeau, quoting Pat, 34:52 from the start, in Penn Radio‎:I was at Park Safari Africa in Canada on the Canadian border. This was years ago outside of Plattsburgh, New York. And I had a new car at the time, and I was driving through, going through the monkey area. And they said 'beware of the monkeys.' So about ten of them circled my car. And this one special one, like he was the leader of the pack, jumped up on the hood and came right up to the windshield and looked in. So I was like making faces at him. [garbled] 'don't do that!' And believe it or not, he made like a face back. He jumped off the car. He took his fingernails and he peeled all the chrome on both sides of my car off. Picked it up, jumped on the hood, dropped it and left- looked at me and left.
* (postpositive) Earlier, ago.
    We met many years back.
    I last saw him a day or two back.
** 1822, John Woods, Two Years' Residence in the Settlement on the English Prairie, in the Illinois Country, United States, page 138:Our road was chiefly through woods, and part of it lay through the Hurricane-track, that is where a strong wind, some years back, opened a passage through the woods for a mile in breadth...
* 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.

##### Derived terms

* spring forward, fall back

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### Noun

back (plural backs)
* The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.
    Could you please scratch my back?
** 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.
** The spine and associated tissues.
    I hurt my back lifting those crates.
** (slang, uncountable) Large and attractive buttocks.
*** 1992, “Baby Got Back”, Sir Mix-A-Lot (lyrics):Take the average black man and ask him that. She gotta pack much back.
*** 2002, George Pelecanos, Right as Rain: A Novel, →ISBN, page 123:He got his hand on her behind and caressed her firm, ample flesh. […] “You got some back on you, girl.”
*** 2016 February 14, Joseph Adenuga, Darren Dixon, Tariq Devega, “Ladies Hit Squad” (track 6), in Konnichiwa, performed by Skepta ft. D Double E and ASAP Nast, Boy Better Know:Back so big, look like your jeans shrunk in the wash / And we don't really need Netflix, I'mma give you something to watch
** (figurative) The part of a piece of clothing which covers the back.
    I still need to finish the back of your dress.
** The backrest, the part of a piece of furniture which receives the human back.
    Can you fix the back of this chair?
** (obsolete) That part of the body that bears clothing. (Now used only in the phrase clothes on one's back.)
*** 1604, William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure:Do thou but think / What ’tis to cram a maw or clothe a back / From such a filthy vice
* That which is farthest away from the front.
    He sat in the back of the room.
** The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side.
    Turn the book over and look at the back.
*** The edge of a book which is bound.
    The titles are printed on the backs of the books.
*** (printing) The inside margin of a page.
**** 1841, William Savage, A Dictionary of the Art of Printing, Ayer Publishing, published 1965, →ISBN, page 472:Convenience and custom have familiarised us to the printed page being a little higher than the middle of the leaf, and to its having a little more margin at the fore edge than in the back.
*** The side of a blade opposite the side used for cutting.
    Tap it with the back of your knife.
** The reverse side; the side that is not normally seen.
    I hung the clothes on the back of the door.
** Area behind, such as the backyard of a house or the rear storeroom of a retail store.
    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?
** The part of something that goes last.
    The car was near the back of the train.
** (sports) In some team sports, a position behind most players on the team.
    The backs were lined up in an I formation.
*** 2010 December 28, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1-3 Blackburn”, in BBC:[…] Rovers were also aided by some poor defending from West Brom, whose lapses at the back undid their excellent work on the ball and condemned Roberto di Matteo's Baggies side to a third straight defeat.
* (figuratively) The upper part of a natural object which is considered to resemble an animal’s back.
    The small boat raced over the backs of the waves.
* A support or resource in reserve.
** c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]:This project / Should have a back or second, that might hold, / If this should blast in proof.
* (nautical) The keel and keelson of a ship.
    The ship’s back broke in the pounding surf.
* (mining) The roof of a horizontal underground passage.
** 1911, Robert Bruce Brinsmade, Mining Without Timber, page 161:The stope is kept full of broken ore, sufficient only being drawn to leave a working space between the floor of broken ore and the back of the stope.
* (slang, uncountable) Effort, usually physical.
    Put some back into it!
* A non-alcoholic drink (often water or a soft drink), to go with hard liquor or a cocktail.
    Could I get a martini with a water back?
* Among leather dealers, one of the thickest and stoutest tanned hides.
** 1848, Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Maine Reports, volume 6, page 397:[…] as delivered by a tanner the average weight of a back and two strips would be about 42 pounds […].
* (swimming) Clipping of backstroke.

##### Synonyms

* (side opposite the visible side): reverse
* (rear of the body): dorsum
* (bound edge of book): spine

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “side opposite the front or useful side”): front
* (antonym(s) of “that which is farthest away from the front”): front

##### Hyponyms

* (lower rear of the body): See Thesaurus:buttocks

##### Coordinate terms

* (non-alcoholic drink): chaser

##### Derived terms

* aback
* A-back
* abackward
* back actor
* back against the wall
* back biter
* back day
* back extension
* backhoe
* back-of-an-envelope, back-of-the-envelope
* back squat
* backward
* big back
* blow someone's back out
* boostback
* break one's arm patting oneself on the back
* break one's back
* break someone's back
* caseback
* Chinaman on one's back
* could be written on the back of a postage stamp
* could fit on the back of a postage stamp
* cover one's back
* cover someone's back
* defensive back
* does Dolly Parton sleep on her back
* fall off the back of a lorry
* fall off the back of a truck
* flat on one's back
* get someone's back
* have eyes in the back of one's head
* have got someone's back
* have one's back up
* have someone's back
* h-back
* hingeback
* hinged-back tortoise
* like water off a duck's back
* make a stick for one's own back
* monkey on one's back
* mossback, mossyback
* nickel back
* no skin off one's back
* off one's own back
* one's back is up
* on one's back
* on someone's back
* open-back
* pain in the back
* pat on the back
* rod for one's own back
* scratch someone's back
* see the back of
* slap on the back
* stab in the back
* stab-in-the-back myth
* sticky-back plastic
* stringbacks
* the shirt off one's back
* the straw that broke the camel's back
* turn one's back
* turtle-back
* watch one's back
* water off a duck's back
* wing back, wing-back, wingback
* with one arm tied behind one's back
* with one hand tied behind one's back
* wooley back, woolly back
* you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours

##### Related terms

* bacon

##### Translations

Abaga: arerefed̶̯ai
Acehnese: likôt
Afrikaans: rug (af)
Aklanon: buli', likod
Albanian: shpinë (sq) f
Amharic: ጀርባ (ǧärba)
Apache:
Western Apache: bigháń
Arabic: ظَهْر (ar) m (ẓahr)
Egyptian Arabic: ضهر m (ḍahr)
Hijazi Arabic: ظَهَر m (ḍahar)
Moroccan Arabic: ضهر m (ḍhar)
Argobba: ዘርህ (zärhǝ)
Armenian: մեջք (hy) (meǰkʻ), թիկունք (hy) (tʻikunkʻ)
Aromanian: schinari, spatã f
Assamese: পিঠি (pithi)
Asturian: llombu (ast) m
Azerbaijani: bel (az), arxa (az)
Bashkir: арҡа (arqa)
Basque: bizkar
Belarusian: спі́на f (spína)
Bengali: পিঠ (bn) (piṭh)
Breton: kein (br)
Bulgarian: гръб (bg) m (grǎb)
Burmese: ကျော (my) (kyau:)
Catalan: esquena (ca) f
Chamicuro: tusna
Chechen: букъ (buqʼ)
Chichewa: msana
Chinese:
Cantonese: 背脊 (bui$^3$ zek$^3$)
Dungan: җибый (žibɨy)
Hokkien: 尻脊骿 (zh-min-nan) (kha-chiah-phiaⁿ, ka-chiah-phiaⁿ), 尻脊 (zh-min-nan) (kha-chiah, ka-chiah)
Mandarin: 背部 (zh) (bèibù), 背 (zh) (bèi), 脊背 (zh) (jǐbèi)
Chuvash: ҫурӑм (śurăm)
Coptic: ⲥⲟⲓ m (soi), ϭⲓⲥⲓ f (cisi)
Cornish: keyn
Czech: záda (cs) pl, hřbet (cs) m
Dalmatian: duas
Danish: ryg (da) c
Dutch: rug (nl) m
Eastern Khanty: пө̆ҷ (pø̆č̣)
Egyptian: (sꜣ)
Erzya: копорь (kopoŕ)
Esperanto: dorso (eo)
Estonian: selg (et)
Even: аркан (arkan), дарам (daram)
Evenki: согдонно (sogdonno)
Ewe: dzime
Faroese: bak (fo) n
Finnish: selkä (fi)
French: dos (fr) m
Galician: lombo (gl) m, costas (gl) f pl, carrelo (gl) m
Georgian: ზურგი (ka) (zurgi)
German: Rücken (de) m
Greek: πλάτη (el) f (pláti)
Ancient: νῶτος m (nôtos), ῥάχις (rhákhis)
Guaraní: ape
Haitian Creole: do
Hawaiian: kua
Hebrew: גַּב (he) m (gav)
Higaonon: talikodan
Hiligaynon: likod
Hindi: पीठ (hi) m (pīṭh), पुश्त (hi) f (puśt)
Hungarian: hát (hu)
Hunsrik: Ricke m
Icelandic: bak (is) n
Ido: dorso (io)
Indonesian: punggung (id)
Ingush: букъ (buqʼ)
Iranun: likud
Irish: droim m
Italian: (of a person or animal) schiena (it) f, dorso (it) m
Ivatan: dichud
Japanese: 背 (ja) (せ, se), 背中 (ja) (せなか, senaka), 背面 (ja) (はいめん, haimen)
Javanese: mburi
Jeju: 등땡이 (deungttaeng'i)
Kankanaey: bokud
Kannada: ಬೆನ್ನು (kn) (bennu)
Kapampangan: gulut
Kashubian: plecë
Kazakh: арқа (arqa)
Khmer: ខ្នង (km) (khnɑɑng)
Korean: 등 (ko) (deung)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: پشت (ckb) (pişt)
Northern Kurdish: pişt (ku)
Kyrgyz: далы (ky) (dalı), арка (ky) (arka)
Lao: ຫຼັງ (lang)
Latgalian: mugora
Latin: dorsum n, tergum n
Latvian: mugura (lv) f
Lutuv: ke
Lezgi: далу (dalu)
Lithuanian: nugara (lt) f
Low German: Rügg m
Luhya: kumukongo
Lushootseed: sʔiličəd
Luxembourgish: Réck (lb) m
Macedonian: грб (grb)
Malay: belakang (ms)
Maltese: dahar m
Manchu: ᡶᡳᠰᠠ (fisa)
Mansaka: likod
Manx: dreeym m
Maori: maihamo (of the head), kohamo (of the head), tuarā, ue (of the neck), kōpako (of the head), tuarongo (of interior of a building), muri, kōkai, murikōkai, mōua (of the neck), pāhoahoa (of the head), hamo (of the head), maihamo (of the head)
Maranao: likod
Marathi: पाठ f (pāṭh)
Maricopa: shlymak
Middle English: bak, chyne
Moksha: копорь (kopoŕ)
Mongolian: нуруу (mn) (nuruu)
Navajo: bíígháán, hwííshgháán, anághah
Nepali: ढाड (ḍhāḍ), पीठ (pīṭh)
Nivkh: кыдр (kədr)
Norman: dos m
North Frisian: rag
Northern Ohlone: núm̄es
Norwegian:
Bokmål: rygg (no) m, bak (no) m (of the «behind»)
Nynorsk: rygg m, bak n (of the «behind»)
Occitan: esquina (oc) f
Odia: ପିଠି (or) (piṭhi)
Ojibwe: (my back) nipikwan
Old Church Slavonic: зажда f (zažda)
Old English: hryċġ m
Old Javanese: wuri, walakaṅ
Ossetian: чъылдым (ḱ’yldym), фӕсонтӕ (fæsontæ)
Ottoman Turkish: آرقه (arka), آرد (ard), سرت (sırt), ظهر (zahr), پشت (püşt)
Pannonian Rusyn: хрибет m (xribet)
Pashto: شا (ps) (šâ), څټ (śëṭ)
Pennsylvania German: Rick m
Persian:
Dari: پُشْت (pušt), ظَهْر (zahr)
Iranian Persian: پُشْت (pošt), ظَهْر (zahr)
Phoenician: 𐤑𐤄𐤓 (ṣhr /⁠ṣohr⁠/)
Plautdietsch: Rigjen m
Polish: plecy (pl) pl
Portuguese: (of a person) costas (pt) f pl, (of an animal) lombo (pt)
Punjabi: ਢੂਹੀ (ḍhūhī)
Quechua: wasa, wagta
Rohingya: fith
Romani: dumo
Romanian: spate (ro), dos (ro), spinare (ro)
Romansch: dies m (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran), arains f pl (Puter), rain f (Vallader)
Russian: спина́ (ru) f (spiná)
Sami:
Inari: čielgi
Northern: sealgi
Skolt: seä´lǧǧ
Southern: rudtje
Sanskrit: पृष्ठ (sa) n (pṛṣṭha)
Scottish Gaelic: cùl m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ле́ђа n pl
Roman: léđa (sh) n pl
Sinhalese: පිට (piṭa)
Slovak: chrbát (sk) m
Slovene: hrbet (sl) m
Somali: dhabar, gadaal (so)
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: kśebjat m
Upper Sorbian: chribjet
Sotho: mokokotlo
Spanish: espalda (es) f, dorso (es) m, lomo (es) m
Sundanese: pungkur (su)
Swahili: mgongo (sw) class 3/4
Swedish: rygg (sv) c
Sylheti: ꠙꠤꠑ (fiṭó)
Tabasaran: далу (dalu)
Tagalog: likod n
Tajik: пушт (tg) (pušt), заҳр (zahr)
Talysh: peşt
Tamil: முதுகு (ta) (mutuku)
Tarifit: aɛrur m
Tat: püşt
Tatar: сырт (tt) (sırt), арка (tt) (arka)
Telugu: వెనుకవైపు (venukavaipu)
Tetum: kotuk
Thai: หลัง (th) (lǎng)
Tibetan: སྒལ་པ (sgal pa)
Tocharian B: sark
Turkish: sırt (tr)
Turkmen: arka (tk), syrt
Udi: бач̓ан (bač̓an), баҹан
Ugaritic: 𐎂𐎁 (gb)
Ukrainian: спи́на (uk) f (spýna)
Urdu: پِیٹھ m (pīṭh), پُشْت f (puśt), ظَہْر f (zahr)
Uyghur: ئارقا (arqa)
Uzbek: orqa (uz)
Venetan: schena (vec) f
Vietnamese: lưng (vi)
Vilamovian: ryk
Volapük: bäk (vo)
Walloon: dos (wa) m
Waray-Waray: gutok
West Frisian: rêch c
White Hmong: nrob qaum
Yiddish: פּלייצע (pleytse), רוקן m (rukn)
Yoruba: ẹ̀yìn
Zazaki: pışt, dos
Zealandic: rik m, rugge f
Zhuang: saen
Zulu: umhlane class 3/4 :
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### Verb

back (third-person singular simple present backs, present participle backing, simple past and past participle backed)
* (intransitive) To go in the reverse direction.
    The train backed into the station.
    The horse refuses to back.
** 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you’re run off your course again. This is a rich man’s summer ‘cottage’ […].” So I started to back away again into the bushes. But I hadn’t backed more’n a couple of yards when I see something so amazing that I couldn’t help scooching down behind the bayberries and looking at it.
** 1954 January, H. P. White, “Vignettes of the Rail”, in Railway Magazine, page 54, at Harmon station, New York:No sooner had a waiting locomotive backed on to its train, the vociferous 4-6-4 or 4-8-4 re-emerged from under the bridge, and the two red marker lights on the last vehicles passed, than the headlight of the electric engine hauling the following train could be seen under the bridge and the waiting queue of locomotives had moved up one.
* (transitive) To support.
    I back you all the way.
    Which horse are you backing in this race?
** 2012 June 9, Owen Phillips, “Euro 2012: Netherlands 0-1 Denmark”, in BBC Sport:And Netherlands, backed by a typically noisy and colourful travelling support, started the second period in blistering fashion and could have had four goals within 10 minutes
** 2022 September 15, “China lodges complaint as U.S. Senate panel advances Taiwan bill”, in Reuters‎, archived from the original on 15 September 2022, Asia Pacific:The Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed the Taiwan Policy Act of 2022 by 17-5, despite concerns about the bill in U.S. President Joe Biden's administration and anger about the measure from Beijing.
* (nautical, 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.
* (nautical, of a square sail) To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.
* (nautical, of an anchor) To lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power.
* (UK, of a hunting dog) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.
* (transitive) To push or force backwards.
    to back oxen
    The mugger backed her into a corner and demanded her wallet.
** 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 279:The soil seems to be very good; the creek runs through the reserve, and has a dam thrown across it, which backs the water for a very considerable distance, and enables them to irrigate a portion of their cultivation block.
* (transitive, obsolete) To get upon the back of; to mount.
** c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:I will back him [a horse] straight.
** 1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:The horse was the grey stallion he aye rode, the very beast he had ridden for many a wager with the wild lads of the Cross Keys. No man but himself durst back it, and it had lamed many a hostler lad and broke two necks in its day.
* (transitive, obsolete) To place or seat upon the back.
** 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]:Great Jupiter, upon his eagle backed, / Appeared to me.
* To make a back for; to furnish with a back.
    to back books
* To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.
** c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:He hath a garden circummured with brick, Whose western side is with a vineyard backed
** 1877, Thomas Henry Huxley, Physiography: An Introduction to the Study of Nature:the chalk cliffs which back the beach
** 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:So this was my future home, I thought! […] Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one’s dreams.
** 1960 December, Voyageur, “The Mountain Railways of the Bernese Oberland”, in Trains Illustrated, page 752:So we continue climbing to the saddle of the Kleine Scheidegg, where ahead there comes into view the wide expanse of the Grindelwald valley, backed by the snowy crown of the Wetterhorn.
* To write upon the back of, possibly as an endorsement.
    to back a letter;  to back a note or legal document
* (law, of a justice of the peace) To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).
* To row backward with (oars).
    to back the oars
* (MLE, transitive) To draw from behind the back (a knife etc.) (as also back out).
** 2017 August 4, “Sticks and Stones”‎performed by Zone 2 (Kwengface x Trizzac x PS):Sticks and Stones may break my bones Not when I back this botty
** 2020 August 13, TwoLzz, “TwentyTwo”‎, 1:14–1:18:When I back this blade, wallahi The hearts get beat like they just saw jihadi
* (Nigeria, transitive) To carry an infant on one’s back.

##### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “nautical: of the wind”): veer

##### Derived terms

* aback
* a bad penny always comes back
* all the way to Egery and back
* answer back
* arrowback
* ask back
* assback
* backable
* backache
* backaching
* back action, backaction
* backake
* backal
* back alley
* back-alley
* back alleyway
* back and fill
* back and fore
* back and forth
* back-and-forth
* back-and-forthing
* back and forward
* back anno
* back-annotate
* back-annotation
* back-announce
* back announce
* back announcement
* back-announcement
* back answer
* backarapper
* backarc
* back-assward, back-asswards
* back atcha
* backative
* back at ya
* back at you
* back away
* back azimuth
* back bacon
* backball
* backband
* Back Bay
* back beam, back-beam, backbeam
* back bearing
* backbeat, back beat
* back bench, back-bench, backbench
* back-bencher, backbencher
* back benches, back-benches, backbenches
* backbend
* back-bite
* backbite
* backbiter
* backbiting
* backblast
* backblock, back-blocks
* back blocks
* back board
* backboard
* back boiler
* backbond
* backbone
* back-bone
* backbore
* backbox
* backbreaker
* backbreaking, back-breaking
* back buffer
* backbulge
* back-burn
* backburn
* back burn
* back burner
* backburner
* back-burner
* back-butt
* back-butter
* backcalculate
* backcalculation
* backcard
* backcare
* backcast
* back catalog
* back catalogue
* backchain
* back channel
* backchannel
* back-channel
* backchat
* back-chat
* back chat
* backcheck
* back-class
* backcloth, back-cloth
* back-cloth star
* backcomb, back-comb
* backcountry, back country
* back course, back-course
* backcourt
* back cover
* back crawl
* backcrawl, back-crawl
* back-cross
* backcross, back cross
* backcrossing
* backdam
* backdate, back-date
* back dive
* backdonation
* back door, backdoor
* back-door pilot
* back-double
* back double biceps
* back down, backdown
* backdraught, backdraft
* backdrivable
* backdrop
* back east
* back-end
* back end, backend
* back engineering
* backer
* backface
* backfall
* backfat
* back-fence
* backfield
* backfile
* backfill
* back-fill
* backfin
* backfire
* back fire
* backfist
* backfit
* back five
* backflash
* backflip
* backflop
* backflow
* backflush
* backfolded
* back foot
* backfoot
* back foot shot
* back-form
* back-formation
* back formation
* back forty
* back four
* back-friend
* backfriend
* backgain
* backgame
* backgammon
* back gammon player
* back-ganging
* back garden
* backgate, back gate
* backglass
* back gray
* backgrinding
* background
* back-hand
* backhand
* backhanded, back-handed
* back-handed compliment
* back-handedly
* back-handedness
* backhander, back-hander
* backhaul
* backhead
* backheader
* backheel
* back-heel
* back history
* backhoe
* back hole
* back home
* back house
* backhouse
* back-house
* backie
* back in
* back in day
* backing
* back in the day
* back in the game
* back in the groove
* back in the saddle
* back into
* backish
* back issue
* backjoint
* backjump
* backjumping
* backkick
* back kitchen
* back labor
* back labour
* backland
* back lane
* backlash
* backlayering
* backlead
* backless
* back lever
* backlift
* backlight
* back-lighting
* backline, back line
* backlining
* backlink
* backlist
* backlit
* backload, back load
* backloading
* backlog
* backlot
* backman
* backmarker
* backmasked
* backmasking
* back-matter
* back matter, backmatter
* backmost
* backmutation
* backness
* back nine
* back number, back-number
* back o' Bourke
* back-of-an-envelope
* back of beyond
* back off, backoff
* back office
* back of house
* back of one's hand
* back of one's mind
* back of the book
* back-of-the-envelope
* back-of-the-fag-packet
* back-of-the-napkin
* back of the net
* Back of the Wight
* back one out
* back oneself into a corner
* back on to
* back onto
* back order, backorder
* back out, backout
* backover
* back-overman
* backpack, back-pack
* backpaddle
* back-page
* back page
* back pain, backpain
* back pass
* back passage
* back pat
* back-pat
* backpatch
* back-patty
* backpay, back pay
* back payment
* backpedal, back-pedal
* back pedal brake
* backpiece
* backplane
* backplate
* back pocket
* back pointer
* back porch
* backport
* back post
* backpressure
* backprime
* backprint
* back projection, backprojection
* backpropagate
* backpropagation
* backquote
* back rank
* back-rank mate
* back-rapper
* backreact
* backreacting
* backreaction
* backread
* backreef
* back-reference, backreference
* backrest
* backrider
* backriding
* back road, backroad
* backroll
* backronym
* backroom, back room
* back row
* back-rower
* backrub
* backsaw
* backscarp
* backscatter, backscattering
* backscene
* backscratch
* back scratcher
* backscratcher
* backscratching
* backscreen
* backscroll
* back scrubber
* backseat
* back seat
* back-seat
* back-seat drive
* back-seat driver
* back-seat game
* back-seat gamer
* back-seat moderator
* backset
* backsettler
* backshadowing
* backshell, back shell
* backshift
* backshine
* backshoot
* back-shop
* backshop
* backshore
* backshot
* backshunt
* backside
* back-side
* backsie
* backsight
* backslab
* back slang
* backslang, back-slang
* backslap, back slap
* back-slappery
* backslapping, back-slapping
* backslash
* backslide
* backsliding
* backslope
* backslum
* backsolution
* backsolve
* backsource
* backspace
* back-spelling
* backspike
* backspin
* backsplash
* backsplit
* backstab
* backstabber
* back-stabbing
* back-stabby
* backstage
* backstair, backstairs, back stairs
* back-stairs
* backstay
* backstep
* backstepping
* backstick
* backstitch
* backstock
* backstop
* back-stop
* backstore
* back-story
* backstory, back story
* back straight, backstraight
* backstrap
* backstream
* back street, backstreet
* backstress
* back-stretch
* back stretch
* backstretch
* backstroke, back-stroke
* back substitution
* backswamp
* back-sweeten
* backswept
* backswimmer
* backswimming
* backswing
* backsword
* backtab
* backtag
* back talk
* backtalk
* back taxes
* backtaxi
* backtest
* backtesting
* back that train up
* back the field
* back then
* back the right horse
* back the wrong horse
* backtick
* backtime
* back time
* back-timing
* back titration, backtitration
* back to back, back-to-back
* back-to-back connection
* back to back jack
* back-to-back loan
* back to back ticket
* back-to-back-to-back
* back to basics
* back-to-basics
* back to front
* back-to-nature
* back to nature
* back tooth
* back-to-school
* back-to-school night
* back to square one
* back to the drawing board
* back to the old drawing board
* back to the wall
* back-to-work order
* backtrace
* backtrack
* back-track
* backtrail
* backtransformed
* back-translate
* back-translation
* back-transliterate
* back-transliteration
* backtroll
* back up
* backup, back-up
* back up the truck
* backveld
* back vowel
* back wall
* backward
* backwards
* backwash
* back wash
* backwasher
* backwashing
* back-water
* back water
* backwater
* backway
* backweight
* back wheel
* back when
* backwind
* backwood
* backwoods
* backword
* backwork
* backworm
* back yard, backyard
* bacne
* bacover
* bad back
* balloon back
* baquote
* barback
* bareback
* beat back
* be glad to see the back of
* behind someone's back
* be right back
* birdback
* bite back
* blackback
* bloody back
* blueback
* bounce back, bounceback
* breakback
* break back
* break the back of
* breathe back to life
* bring back
* brokeback
* brownback
* bruckback
* bruck back
* bruck-back
* brush back
* brushback
* buy back
* buy-back
* call back
* callback
* camelback
* canvasback
* carryback
* cashback
* cash-back
* cast back
* cast one's mind back
* center back
* center-back
* centre-back
* centre back
* chairback
* chargeback
* checkback
* choke back
* circle back
* clap back
* claw back
* close-back
* closed-back
* clothback
* cold-back
* cold back
* come back, comeback
* come back from the dead
* come back to bite
* come back to haunt
* come back to one's senses
* cook back
* copyback
* cornerback
* countback
* cowback
* crackback
* crookback
* crossback
* cross-back
* cut-back
* cut back
* databack
* date back
* dial back
* diamondback
* did my back hurt your knife
* die back
* dime back
* donkeyback
* double back
* drainback
* drawback
* draw back
* drop-back
* drop back
* dyke-back
* echoback
* elephantback
* face like the back end of a bus
* failback
* failed back syndrome
* fall back
* fallback, fall-back
* fall back into
* fall back on
* fall back upon
* fanback
* fatback
* faxback
* featherback
* feature back
* fed up to the back teeth
* feed back
* feedback
* fiddleback
* fightback
* fight back
* finback
* fireback
* flameback
* flareback
* flashback
* flash back
* flatback
* flatbacker
* flat back four
* flexiback
* flyback
* foamback
* foldback
* force someone's back to the wall
* frillback
* front to back
* fullback
* full back
* full-back
* gentleman of the back door
* get back
* get back at
* get back on the horse that bucked one
* get back to
* get off someone's back
* get one's breath back
* get one's own back
* get someone's back up
* give back
* go back
* goback
* go-back
* go back a long way
* go back in time
* go back on
* go back to
* go back to the drawing board
* go back to the tools
* go behind someone's back
* goldback
* goldenback
* go to hell and back
* go way back
* grant-back
* greenback
* greyback
* hackleback
* hairyback
* half-back
* halfback
* handback
* hang back
* hardback
* hark back
* hark-back
* harken back
* hatchback
* have back
* have one's back to the wall
* have one's ears pinned back
* hearken back
* highback
* hinge-back tortoise
* hit back
* ho back
* hogback, Hog's Back
* hold back
* holdback
* hold back on
* holla back
* hollow back
* hopback
* horseback
* houseback
* humpback
* hunchback
* in back
* in back of
* in one's back pocket
* inside back
* I want my money back
* jack-back
* keelback
* keep back
* kickback
* kick back
* kick-back
* knitback
* knock back
* knockback
* knock-back
* know like the back of one's hand
* laceback
* ladderback
* ladder back
* ladder-back
* laid back
* laid-back, laidback
* lay back
* layback
* lazyback
* lean-back
* leaseback
* leatherback
* left-back
* left back
* let one's short back and sides down
* lie back
* lie back and think of England
* liftback
* like the back end of a bus
* linkback
* loanback
* loan-back
* lobsterback
* look back
* look-back, lookback
* look like the back end of a bus
* loopback
* low back
* low back merger
* lower back
* midback
* moneyback
* move back
* muleback
* my back teeth are floating
* netback
* Nickelback
* nickelback
* nonback
* notchback
* offensive back
* off the back foot
* oliveback
* on the back burner
* on the back foot
* on the back of
* out-and-back
* outback
* out back
* outside back
* paperback
* pat on the back
* pay back
* pay back in someone's own coin
* peel back the onion
* peg back
* phone back
* pickleback
* piggyback
* pimpleback
* pinback
* pin back
* pin back one's ears
* pingback
* pin one's ears back
* pitchback
* playback
* play back
* plough back
* plough the back forty
* plow back
* plugback
* ponyback
* postback
* pressback
* prickleback
* puffback
* pull-back
* pull back
* push-back
* pushback
* push back
* put-back
* putback
* put one's back into
* put on the back burner
* put someone's back up
* put the clock back
* put the clocks back
* put the cork back in the bottle
* put the genie back in the bottle
* put the toothpaste back in the tube
* quarterback
* quillback
* racerback
* rakeback
* rap back
* razorback
* rear back
* reback
* red back
* redback
* red-back
* refback
* rein-back
* rentback
* report back
* return back
* revert back
* ribbonback
* ride on the back of
* ridgeback
* right-back
* right back
* right back at you
* ring back
* ringback
* roar back
* rod for one's back
* rollback
* roll back
* roll back the years
* rosinback
* roundback
* row-back
* row back
* run back
* runback
* running back
* rustyback
* sack-back
* saddleback
* saddle back reef
* saddleback seal
* sawback
* scale back
* scaleback
* scratchback
* screwback
* screw back
* scrollback
* seatback, seat back
* send back
* setback
* set back
* set one's watch back
* shagger's back
* sheepback
* shellback
* shieldback
* shingleback
* shoot back
* short back and sides
* shrink back
* sick to the back teeth
* silverback
* singback
* sit back
* skewback
* skin back
* slam back
* slapback
* slap-back
* slatback
* slick back
* slicked-back
* slingback
* slip back
* slip back to old ways
* slotback
* slowback
* small of the back
* snapback
* snatchback
* softback
* sowback
* spillback
* spinback
* spineback
* splashback
* spring back
* stab in the back
* stackback
* stand back
* start back
* start back in
* start back on
* stay back
* steelback
* stepback
* step back
* stepping back
* stickyback
* stitchback
* stitch-back
* storeback
* strike back
* strongback
* sunback
* swartback
* swayback
* sweepback
* swept-back, sweptback
* swing-back
* switchback
* tagback
* tailback
* take a back seat
* take a step back
* take back
* take the back track
* talk back
* T-back
* the bad penny always comes back
* there and back
* think back
* thornback
* three-quarter back
* throat back
* throw back, throwback
* throw it back
* tieback
* tie back
* time back
* tip back
* toadback
* to hell and back
* to the moon and back
* towback
* traceback
* trackback
* turn back the clock
* turn back, turnback
* turn the clock back
* turn the clocks back
* turtleback
* unback
* underback
* unicornback
* upback
* walk back
* walk back the cat
* walk the cat back
* wartyback
* washback
* Watteau back
* way back
* way back when
* way way back
* welcome back
* whaleback
* wheatback
* wheelback
* whiteback
* whoa back
* win back
* wind at one's back
* wind back
* wind back the clock
* window back
* wolf back
* work back
* worry back
* writeback
* write-back
* yellow-back
* yellow back
* yellowback
* you can't put the shit back in the horse
* you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube
* you can't put the toothpaste back into the tube

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from French bac.

#### Noun

back (plural backs)
* 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.

##### Translations
## Czech
### Alternative forms

* bek

### Etymology

Borrowed from English back.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈbɛk]
* Rhymes: -ɛk
* Homophone: beg

### Noun

back m anim
* (sports, obsolete) back
    Synonyms: obránce, zadák
    Antonyms: útočník, forward
** 1904, František K. Hejda with et al., Praha ve dne v noci: zajímavosti a zvláštnosti ze źivota staré a nové Prahy‎, volume 1, P. Körber, page 70:Forward útočí na branku nepřátel podporován jsa zálohou, a backové s brankářem proti tomu mají čeliti útokům forwardu nepřátelského.Forward line attack the opponent's goal, being supported by midfielders, and backs with the goalkeeper are supposed to face the attacks of the opponent's forward line.
** 1997, Kronika českého fotbalu‎, volume 1, page 196:Sparta má proslulý forward, a ten tak uvykl na svou proslulost, že se nesnaží ani trainovat, že opovrhuje běháním, že se spoléhá na znamenitou, ale pomalou kombinaci, že vlastně už zapomněl běhat, chodit mezi backy a vystavovat se nebezpečí, že svůj goal zaplatí snad nějakým tím klepnutím do choulostivých končetin.Sparta has a renowned forward line, which got used to its fame so much, that they do not take pains to train, despise running, rely on excellent but slow combination, that they forgot how to run, go among the backs and put themselves in danger of being hit into sensitive limbs.

#### Declension
### Noun

back m inan
* (sports, rare) defense
    Synonym: obrana
    Antonym: útok
** 1986, Vladimír Valenta, Power play‎, Polygon:Na backu všechno odřeme, to křídlo, to je jiný: chrápe na modrý čáře a čeká, až mu to někdo bouchne.In the defense we do all the hard work, while the wing is different: they snore at the blue line and wait until somebody passes it to them.

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “back”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “back”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from English back.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bak/
* Homophone: bac

### Adverb

back
* (Louisiana, Missouri, Cajun, Acadia) back
    Dis trois je vous salue Marie, et je veux point te voir icitte back à voler du plywood.Say three hail Maries, and I don't want to see you back here stealing plywood.

## German
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bak/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ak

### Verb

back
* inflection of backen:
** second-person singular imperative
** (colloquial) first-person singular present indicative

## Middle English
### Noun

back
* Alternative form of bak (“back”)

## Swedish
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Etymology 1

From English back.

#### Noun

back c
* back; position behind most players on the team
* reverse; car gear

##### Declension
#### Adverb

back (not comparable)
* backwards (often of machines, engines, etc., or in commands)
* (in "gå back") to lose (usually money)
    gå 1000 kr back på en affärlose 1000 SEK on a deal
* (in "ligga back") to be at a deficit (usually of money)

### Etymology 2

From German Back.

#### Noun

back c
* crate; storage of small goods
    Hypernym: lastbärare
    Hyponym: läskback

##### Declension
### References

* back in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* back in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* back in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)