n. The whole hinder part of the human body, opposite the front and between the sides, or the upper part of the body of most animals; technically, the spinal, dorsal, or tergal portion, surface, or aspect of the trunk, extending from the scruff of the neck between the shoulders to the buttocks, hams, or bifurcation of the body at the legs; the tergum; the dorsum; the notæum.n. The corresponding or related portion of any part or organ of the body; the posterior aspect of a thing; the part opposite to or furthest from the front, or in any way correlated with the back of the trunk: as, the back of the head, neck, arm, leg; the back of the hand; the back of the mouth.n. Anything resembling the back in position.n. As being behind, or in the furthest distance, with reference to the spectator, speaker, scene of action, etc.: as, the back of an island; the back of a wood; the back of a village.n. As being the part which comes behind in the ordinary movements of a thing, or when it is used: as, the back of a knife, saw, etc.n. As forming the upper, and especially the outer and upper, portion of a thing, like the back of one of the lower animals: as, the back of a hand-rail; the back of a rafter.n. The ridge of a hill.n. As being that which supports the ribs: as, the back of a ship (namely, the keel and keelson). See broken-backed. The upright hind part of a chair, serving as a support for the back. In botany, the outer side of an organ, or the side turned away from the axis: as, the back of a leaf or of a carpel.n. By synecdoche, the whole body, with reference to clothing, because the back is usually most fully covered: as, he has not clothes to his back.n. Clothing; a garment to cover the back.n. plural In the leather trade, the thickest and best-tanned hides.n. The address of a letter, formerly written on the back of the letter itself.n. A reserve or secondary resource.n. In ship-building, a timber bolted on the after end of the rudder, to complete its form.n. In metal-mining, the portion of the lode which lies between any level or stope and the one next above it, or the surface. Generally, the backs are the unstoped portions of the lode, as far as laid open, and ready to be mined or stoped.n. In coal-mining: Same as face. The inner end of a heading where work is going on.n. In foot-ball, a position behind the line of rushers, or a player in this position: called quarter-back, half-back, three-quarters-back, or full-back, according to the distance from the rushers.Lying or being behind; opposite to the front; hinder; rear: as, the back part of anything; a back door or window; back stairs; the back side of a field.Hence Away from the front position or rank; remote in place or condition; far in the rear, literally or figuratively: as, the back settlements of a country.In a backward direction; returning in the direction whence it came: as, a back stroke; back water.In arrear; overdue: as, back pay or rents.To or toward the rear; backward; in the reverse direction: as, to step or shrink back; the tide flowed back.From forward motion or progress; from advancing or advancement; in a state of restraint, hindrance, or retardation: with such verbs as keep and hold: as, he was held back with difficulty; the police kept back the crowd.To or toward one's (its or their) original starting-point, place, or condition: as, to go back to the city, to one's old occupation, to one's former belief.From a present, usual, or natural position; in a direction opposite to some other, expressed or understood; backward: as, to bend back one's finger; to force back the bolt of a door.To or toward times or things past; backward in time: as, to look back on former ages.From the proper destination or purpose: as, to keep back despatches.Away from an undertaking, engagement, or promise.In a position of retirement or withdrawal; off; aloof: absolutely or with from: as, the house stands a little back from the road.Behind in position, literally or figuratively, or as regards progress made: absolutely or with of: as, the hills back of the town; the feeling back of his words; a few pages back.Past in time; ago; since: as, a little back.Again; in return: as, to answer back; to pay back a loan.See the verbs.To furnish with a back or backing; strengthen or support at the back: as, to back a book; to back an electrotype-plate; to back the armor-plates of a war-vessel with teak.To cover the back of; clothe.To support or aid, as with practical assistance, money, authority, influence, etc.; second or strengthen; reinforce: often with up: as, in his efforts he was backed by many influential men; he backed up his argument with a bet.Hence In sporting, to recognize and support by standing or dropping: said of dogs which follow the lead of a dog on point.To act or wager in favor of; express confidence in the success or superiority of: as, to back a horse in a race, or one of the parties in an argument.To get upon the back of; mount: as, to back a horse.To write something on the back of; address, as a letter; indorse.To lie at the back of; adjoin in the rear; form a back or background to.To carry on the back.To cause to move backward; propel backward: as, to back a horse; to back a boat.To reverse the action of: as, to back a stationary engine.In coal-mining, to throw back into the gob or waste, as the small slack made in holing or undercutting the coal.To move or force backward: as, to back up a carriage.To reverse, as an engine or a press.In electrotyping, to strengthen, as the thin shell or electroplate obtained from a wax mold of a form of type, an engraved plate, etc., by depositing upon its back type-metal to a certain thickness.In base-ball and similar games, to stand behind, as another player, in order to stop and return any balls that may pass him: as, the center-field backs up the second-base.To move or go backward: as, the horse backed; the train backed.2. To move in the reverse direction: said specifically of the wind, in contradistinction to haul (which see), when it changes in a manner contrary to the usual circuit.To be vacillating or irresolute; shilly-shally.n. The earlier form of bat.n. A large flat-bottomed ferry-boat, especially one adapted for carrying vehicles, and worked by a chain or rope fastened on each side of the stream.n. A large cistern or vat used by brewers, distillers, dyers, etc., for holding liquids; a large tub or trough.n. A kind of wooden trough for holding or carrying fuel, ashes, etc.; a coal-scuttle: commonly in the diminutive form bakey.n. n. A change in the direction of the wind in the order east, north, west, and south—that is, against the sun or against the hands of a watch.n. In mining, a cleavage-plane: one of the main joints, vertical or nearly so, by which strata are intersected.In phonology, formed at the back of the mouth by raising or lowering the posterior part, or back, of the tongue.From the beginning, or from early times; hence, with systematic thoroughness: as, he explained the whole thing from way back.In building: To complete at the back or rear by building or by covering or finishing something: often used with up.To finish at the back by cutting off, trimming, or smoothing: sometimes used with off.To give a new back to (as a wall), by cutting away some part of the material: generally used with off.To move (coal) along the working-face to the haulage road.To provide (a bow) with a back made of a separate piece or of different material from that of the belly.
