back
Pronunciation: /bæk/
The English word “back” has 20 meanings listed here.
adjective
- At or near the rear.
- Returned or restored to a previous place or condition.
- Not current.
- Situated away from the main or most frequented areas.
- In arrears; overdue.
- Moving or operating backward.
- 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).
adverb
- To or in a previous condition or place.
- In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.
- In a direction opposite to the usual or desired direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively.
- Towards, into or in the past.
- Away from someone or something; at a distance.
- Away from the front or from an edge (of something or someone).
- So as to shrink, recede or move aside, or cause to do so.
- In a manner that impedes.
- In a reciprocal manner; in return.
- Earlier, ago.
- To a later point in time. See also put back.
noun
Etymology
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…
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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.