English

Noun

back (backs )

1. the side of something opposite the front or useful side; the reverse side; the side that is not normally seen.
2. that which is farthest away from the front.

   He sat in the back of the room.

3. the part of something that goes last.

   The car was near the back of the train.

4. the rear of body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.
5. in some team sports, a position behind most players on the team.

Derived terms

• backpack
• backseat
• bareback
• horseback

Translations

• Chinese:背部(4)
• Dutch: achterkant (1,2,3), achter (1,2), rug (4), verdediger (5), achterhoedespeler (5)
• French: derrière m, revers m (1); fond m (2); fin f (3); dos m (4); arrière m (5)
• German: Rückseite f (1); Rücken m (4); Verteidiger m (5)
• Hebrew: גב /gav/
• Ido: dorso
• Italian: dietro m, rovescio m (1); fondo m (2); dietro m (3); (of a person) schiena f, (of an animal) dorso, schiena (4); terzino (5)
• Indonesian: belakang (1,2,3,5); punggung (4)
• Irish: droim m (1,4)
• Latin: dorsum n (4)
• Portuguese: dorso m, reverso m (1); parte de trás f (3); (of a person) costas f pl, (of an animal) lombo (4); zagueiro m, beque m (5)
• Russian: спина /spina/, спинка /spinka/
• Spanish: espalda f (4)

Verb

to back (backed, backing , backs)

1. to go in the reverse direction.

   The train backed into the station.

2. to support.

   I back you all the way.

3. (nautical) Of the wind, the change direction contrary to its normal pattern (anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, clockwise in the southern)
4. (nautical) Of a square sail, to brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship
5. (nautical) Of an anchor, to lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power

Translations

• Dutch: achteruit gaan (1), achteruit rijden (1), steunen (2)
• French: (person) reculer , (vehicle) faire marche arrière (1); soutenir (2)
• German: (vehicle) zurücksetzen (1); [[]] (2)
• Indonesian: mundur (1); dukung (2)
• Italian: vehicle) far marcia indietro (1); appoggiare (2)
• Portuguese: (vehicle) (Portuguese Portuguese) fazer marcha atrás , (Brazilian Portuguese) fazer marcha-à-ré (1); apoiar (2)
• Spanish: vehicle ir marcha atrás (1); respaldar (2)

Adverb

back

1. to a previous condition or place.

   He gave back the money.

2. in a manner that impedes.

   Fear held him back.

Translations

• Dutch: terug (1), tegen (2)

Adjective

back

1. toward the rear.

   the back door.

2. not current.

   back issues of magazine.

3. remote; far from the main area.

   a back road.

Translations

• Dutch: achter (1), oude (2), achteraf (3)
• French: (door) de derrière (1); (road) écarté (3)

Related terms

• back away
• backbiting
• back down
• backdrop
• backfire
• background
• backlog
• back pay
• back up
• back water
• backwater