back2

[bak] /bæk/
adverb
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.
Verb phrases
7.
go back on,
  1. to be treacherous or faithless to; betray:
    to go back on friends.
  2. to fail to keep; renege on:
    to go back on promises.
Idioms
8.
back and forth, from side to side; to and fro; from one to the other:
The pendulum of the grandfather clock swung back and forth.
9.
back yonder, Chiefly South Midland U.S. formerly; many years ago:
Back yonder, when I was a boy, things were different.
Origin
1480-90; aphetic variant of aback
British Dictionary definitions for go back on

back1

/bæk/
noun
1.
the posterior part of the human body, extending from the neck to the pelvis related adjective dorsal
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: the back of a carpet, the back of a knife
6.
the part or side of anything that is furthest from the front or from a spectator: the back of the stage
7.
the convex part of something: the back of a hill, the back of a ship
8.
something that supports, covers, or strengthens the rear of an object
9.
(ball games)
  1. a mainly defensive player behind a forward
  2. 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)
  1. the side of a passage or layer nearest the surface
  2. the earth between that level and the next
12.
the upper surface of a joist, rafter, slate, tile, etc, when in position Compare bed (sense 13)
13.
at one's back, behind, esp in support or pursuit
14.
at the back of one's mind, not in one's conscious thoughts
15.
behind one's back, without one's knowledge; secretly or deceitfully
16.
break one's back, to overwork or work very hard
17.
break the back of, to complete the greatest or hardest part of (a task)
18.
on one's back, flat on one's back, incapacitated, esp through illness
19.
(informal) get off someone's back, to stop criticizing or pestering someone
20.
have on one's back, to be burdened with
21.
(informal) on someone's back, criticizing or pestering someone
22.
put one's back into, to devote all one's strength to (a task)
23.
put someone's back up, get someone's back up, to annoy someone
24.
see the back of, to be rid of
25.
back of beyond
  1. the back of beyond, a very remote place
  2. (Austral) in such a place (esp in the phrase out back of beyond)
26.
turn one's back on
  1. to turn away from in anger or contempt
  2. to refuse to help; abandon
27.
with one's back to the wall, in a difficult or desperate situation
verb (mainly transitive)
28.
(also intransitive) 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: to back a horse
31.
to provide with a back, backing, or lining
32.
to provide with a music accompaniment: a soloist backed by an orchestra
33.
to provide a background for; be at the back of: mountains back the town
34.
to countersign or endorse
35.
(archaic) to mount the back of
36.
(intransitive; foll by on or onto) to have the back facing (towards): the house backs onto a river
37.
(intransitive) (of the wind) to change direction in an anticlockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and a clockwise direction in the southern See veer1 (sense 3a)
38.
(nautical) to position (a sail) so that the wind presses on its opposite side
39.
back and fill
  1. (nautical) to manoeuvre the sails by alternately filling and emptying them of wind to navigate in a narrow place
  2. to vacillate in one's opinion
adjective (prenominal)
40.
situated behind: a back lane
41.
of the past: back issues of a magazine
42.
owing from an earlier date: back rent
43.
(mainly US & Austral, NZ) remote: back country
44.
(of a road) not direct
45.
moving in a backward direction: back current
46.
(phonetics) 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
adverb
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: to go back home, put the book back, my headache has come back
49.
in or into the past: to look back on one's childhood
50.
in reply, repayment, or retaliation: to hit someone back, pay back a debt, to answer back
51.
in check: the dam holds back the water
52.
in concealment; in reserve: to keep something back, to hold back information
53.
back and forth, to and fro
54.
back to front
  1. in reverse
  2. in disorder
See also back down, back off, back out, back up
Word Origin
Old English bæc; related to Old Norse bak, Old Frisian bek, Old High German bah

back2

/bæk/
noun
1.
a large tub or vat, esp one used by brewers
Word Origin
C17: from Dutch bak tub, cistern, from Old French bac, from Vulgar Latin bacca (unattested) vessel for liquids
Word Origin and History for go back on

back

n.

Old English bæc "back," from Proto-Germanic *bakam (cf. Old Saxon and Middle Dutch bak, Old Frisian bek), with no known connections outside Germanic.

The cognates mostly have been ousted in this sense in other modern Germanic languages by words akin to Modern English ridge (cf. Danish ryg, German Rücken). Many Indo-European languages show signs of once having distinguished the horizontal back of an animal (or a mountain range) from the upright back of a human. In other cases, a modern word for "back" may come from a word related to "spine" (Italian schiena, Russian spina) or "shoulder, shoulder blade" (Spanish espalda, Polish plecy).

To turn (one's) back on (someone or something) "ignore" is from early 14c. Behind (someone's) back "clandestinely" is from late 14c.

To know (something) like the back of one's hand, implying familiarity, is first attested 1893. The first attested use of the phrase is from a dismissive speech made to a character in Robert Louis Stevenson's "Catriona":

If I durst speak to herself, you may be certain I would never dream of trusting it to you; because I know you like the back of my hand, and all your blustering talk is that much wind to me.
The story, a sequel to "Kidnapped," has a Scottish setting and context, and the back of my hand to you was noted in the late 19th century as a Scottish expression meaning "I will have nothing to do with you" [e.g. "Jamieson's Dictionary of the Scottish Language"]. In English generally, the back of (one's) hand has been used to imply contempt and rejection since at least 1300. Perhaps the connection of a menacing dismissal is what made Stevenson choose that particular anatomical reference.

v.

late 15c., "to move (something) back," from back (adv.). Meaning "to support" (as by a bet) is first attested 1540s. Related: Backed; backing.

adj.

Middle English, from back (n.) and back (adv.). Formerly with comparative backer (c.1400), also backermore. To be on the back burner in the figurative sense is from 1960, from the image of a cook keeping a pot there to simmer while he or she works on another concoction at the front of the stove.

adv.

late 14c., shortened from abak, from Old English on bæc "backwards, behind, aback" (see back (n.)). Back and forth attested from 1814.

go back on in Medicine

back (bāk)
n.

  1. The posterior portion of the trunk of the human body between the neck and the pelvis; the dorsum.

  2. The backbone or spine.

Slang definitions & phrases for go back on

go back on

verb phrase

To renege; fail to keep one's word (1859+)


back

adverb

As a chaser: She wants whiskey with water back (1980s+)

noun

(also backup or backup for a beef) Someone who will support and assist; a trusty ally (1980s+ Teenagers)

verb
  1. To give one's support to some effort or person: I'll back your application (1500s+)
  2. To bet on: He backed Green Goo in the eighth (1600s+)
  3. To contribute money for; bankroll: My cousin backed the rock show in the park (1880s+)
Related Terms

fishyback, get one's or someone's back up, get off someone's back, get the monkey off, give someone the shirt off one's back, knock back, laid-back, mellow-back, mossback, on someone's back, piggyback, pin someone's ears back, razorback, you scratch my back i scratch yours


Idioms and Phrases with go back on

go back on

Fail to honor or keep, as in You can't go back on your word, or One should never go back on a promise. [ Mid-1800s ]

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