1. the rear part of the human body, extending from the neck to the lower end of the spine.
2. the part of the body of animals corresponding to the human back.
3. the rear portion of any part of the body: the back of the head.
4. the whole body, with reference to clothing: the clothes on his back.
5. ability for labor; effort or strength: He put his back into the task.
6. the part opposite to or farthest from the front; the rear part: the back of a hall.
7. the part that forms the rear of any object or structure: the back of a chair.
8. the area directly behind a person: Face the town with the river at your back and follow the main street up the hill.
9. the part that covers the back: the back of a jacket.
10. the spine or backbone: The fall broke his back.
11. any rear part of an object serving to support, protect, etc.: the back of a binder.
12. the forward side of a propeller blade (opposed to face, def. 22).
13. the top part or upper surface of an aircraft, especially of its fuselage.
14. the edge of a book formed where its sections are bound together.
15. grounds along the River Cam in back of certain colleges at Cambridge University in England: noted for their great beauty.
16. extrados.
17. Carpentry.
• the upper side of a joist, rafter, handrail, etc.
• the area of interior wall between a window stool and the floor.
18. the roof of a stope or drift.
19. Sports.
• a player whose regular position is behind that of players who make initial contact with the opposing team, as behind the forward line in football or nearest the player's own goal in polo.
• the position occupied by this player.

20. to support, as with authority, influence, help, or money (often followed by up): to back a candidate;to back up a theory with facts.
21. to bet on: to back a horse in the race.
22. to cause to move backward (often followed by up): to back a car.
23. to furnish with a back: to back a book.
24. to lie at the back of; form a back or background for: a beach backed by hills.
25. to provide with an accompaniment: a singer backed by piano and bass.
26. to get upon the back of; mount.
27. to write or print on the back of; endorse; countersign.
28. to attach strips of wood to the upper edge of (a joist or rafter) to bring it to a desired level.
29. Nautical.
• to alter the position of (a sail) so that the wind will strike the forward face.
• to brace (yards) in backing a sail.
• to reinforce the hold of (an anchor) by means of a smaller one attached to it and dropped farther away.

30. to go or move backward (often followed by up).
31. (of wind) to change direction counterclockwise (opposed to veer).

32. situated at or in the rear: at the back door;back fence.
33. far away or removed from the front or main area, position, or rank; remote: back settlements.
34. belonging to the past: back files;back issues.
35. in arrears; overdue: back pay.
36. coming or going back; moving backward: back current.
37. reciprocal (def. 7).
38. (of a speech sound) produced with the tongue articulating in the back part of the mouth, as in either of the sounds of go.

39. to retreat; withdraw: They gradually began to back away from their earlier opinion.
40. to abandon an argument, opinion, or claim; withdraw; retreat: He backed down as soon as a member of the audience challenged his assertion.
41. back off,
• to back down: Now that the time for action had arrived, it was too late to back off.
• to reverse (the spindle) in mule spinning prior to winding on the newly spun length of yarn.
42. to fail to keep an engagement or promise; withdraw from; abandon: Two entrants have backed out of competing in the marathon.You can't back out now.
43. back up,
• to bring (a stream of traffic) to a standstill: A stalled car backed up traffic for miles.
• to print a sheet again on its other side.
• to fill in (the thin copper shell of an electrotype) with metal in order to strengthen it.
• to move backward: Back up into the garage.
• to reinforce: We backed up the cardboard with slats so it wouldn't fall down.
• to support or confirm: He backed up my story and they let us go.
• to duplicate (a file or a program) as a precaution against failure.
44. to return for more of, as another helping of food.

45. back and fill,
• to trim the sails of a boat so that the wind strikes them first on the forward and then on the after side.
• to change one's opinion or position; vacillate.
46. back and forth, South Midland U.S.
• to go back and forth, as in running errands or visiting: He spent the day back and forthing to the post office.
• to work in an aimless or ineffective way; expend effort with little result.
47. back water,
• to reverse the direction of a vessel.
• to retreat from a position; withdraw an opinion: I predict that the council will back water on the tax issue.
48. be flat on one's back,
• to be helpless or beaten: He's flat on his back after a long succession of failures.
• to be confined to one's bed because of illness.
49. in one's absence; without one's knowledge; treacherously; secretly: I'd rather talk to him about it directly than discuss it behind his back.
50. to cause a person to fail, especially to cause to become bankrupt: His family's extravagance is breaking his back.
51. break the back of,
• to complete the principal or hardest part of (a project, one's work, etc.): He finally broke the back of the problem.
• to overcome; defeat: They broke the back of our union.
52. to cease to find fault with or to disturb someone: The fight started when they wouldn't get off my back.
53. to become annoyed; take offense: She gets her back up whenever someone mentions her family's influence.
54. to help and protect someone if necessary, especially in a time of trouble: If he needs anything, I hope he knows I’ve got his back.
55. to be in a difficult or hopeless situation.
56. behind: He hid in back of the billboard.What could be in back of his strange behavior?
57. finding fault with or disturbing someone: The boss is always on my back about promptness.
58. pat¹ (defs. 9, 11).
59. stab (def. 12).
60. stab (def. 13).
61. turn one's back on,
• to forsake or neglect: He was unable to turn his back on any suffering creature.
• to leave behind, as in anger.
62. to be on guard: Your assistant is gunning for your job—watch your back!

1. at, to, or toward the rear; backward: to step back.
2. in or toward the past: to look back on one's youth; They met in Chicago back in 1976.
3. at or toward the original starting point, place, or condition: to go back to the old neighborhood.
4. in direct payment or return: to pay back a loan; to answer back.
5. in a state of restraint or retention: to hold back the tears; to hold back salary.
6. in a reclining position: to lean back; to lie back.

7. go back on,
• to be treacherous or faithless to; betray: to go back on friends.
• to fail to keep; renege on: to go back on promises.

8. from side to side; to and fro; from one to the other: The pendulum of the grandfather clock swung back and forth.
9. formerly; many years ago: Back yonder, when I was a boy, things were different.

1. a large tub, vat, or cistern used by dyers, brewers, distillers, etc., to hold liquids.
2. a broad-beamed ferryboat hauled across a body of water by a rope or chain.

1. the posterior part of the human body, extending from the neck to the pelvis
2. the corresponding or upper part of an animal
3. the spinal column
4. the part or side of an object opposite the front
5. the part or side of anything less often seen or used
6. the part or side of anything that is furthest from the front or from a spectator
7. the convex part of something
8. something that supports, covers, or strengthens the rear of an object
9. ball games
• a mainly defensive player behind a forward
• the position of such a player
10. the part of a book to which the pages are glued or that joins the covers
11. mining
• the side of a passage or layer nearest the surface
• the earth between that level and the next
12. the upper surface of a joist, rafter, slate, tile, etc, when in position
13. behind, esp in support or pursuit
14. not in one's conscious thoughts
15. without one's knowledge; secretly or deceitfully
16. to overwork or work very hard
17. to complete the greatest or hardest part of (a task)
18. incapacitated, esp through illness
19. to stop criticizing or pestering someone
20. to be burdened with
21. criticizing or pestering someone
22. to devote all one's strength to (a task)
23. to annoy someone
24. to be rid of
25. back of beyond
• a very remote place
• in such a place (esp in the phrase out back of beyond)
26. turn one's back on
• to turn away from in anger or contempt
• to refuse to help; abandon
27. in a difficult or desperate situation

28. to move or cause to move backwards
29. to provide support, money, or encouragement for (a person, enterprise, etc)
30. to bet on the success of
31. to provide with a back, backing, or lining
32. to provide with a music accompaniment
33. to provide a background for; be at the back of
34. to countersign or endorse
35. to mount the back of
36. to have the back facing (towards)
37. (of the wind) to change direction in an anticlockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and a clockwise direction in the southern
38. to position (a sail) so that the wind presses on its opposite side
39. back and fill
• to manoeuvre the sails by alternately filling and emptying them of wind to navigate in a narrow place
• to vacillate in one's opinion

40. situated behind
41. of the past
42. owing from an earlier date
43. remote
44. (of a road) not direct
45. moving in a backward direction
46. of, relating to, or denoting a vowel articulated with the tongue retracted towards the soft palate, as for the vowels in English hard, fall, hot, full, fool

47. at, to, or towards the rear; away from something considered to be the front; backwards; behind
48. in, to, or towards the original starting point, place, or condition
49. in or into the past
50. in reply, repayment, or retaliation
51. in check
52. in concealment; in reserve
53. to and fro
54. back to front
• in reverse
• in disorder

1. a large tub or vat, esp one used by brewers

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