Meaning of back In English

• 0 in, into, or towards a previous place or condition, or an earlier time:

  • When you take the scissors, remember to put them back.

  • He left a note saying "Gone out. Back soon."

  • She went to Brazil for two years, but now she's back (= has returned).

  • He looked back (= looked behind him) and saw they were following him.

  • Looking at her old photographs brought back (= made her remember) a lot of memories.

  • I was woken by a thunderstorm, and I couldn't get back to sleep (= could not sleep again).

  • The last time we saw Lowell was back (= at an earlier time) in January.

  • This tradition dates back to (= to the earlier time of) the 16th century.

  • If he hits me, I'll hit him back.

  • You're not just going to let her say those things about you without fighting back, are you?

  • I'm busy at the moment - can I call you back?

  • I wrote to Donna several months ago, but she hasn't written back yet.

• 1 further away in distance:

  • If we push the table back against the wall, we'll have more room.

  • "Keep back!" he shouted, "Don't come any closer!"

  • He sat back on the sofa.

  • She threw back her head and laughed uproariously.

  • The house is set back from the street.

• 2 the inside or outside part of an object, vehicle, building, etc. that is furthest from the front:

  • He jotted her name down on the back of an envelope.

  • I found my tennis racket at the back of the cupboard.

  • We sat at the back of the bus.

  • Our seats were right at the back of the auditorium.

  • Ted was out/round the back (= in the area behind the house)."

  • There is a beautiful garden at the back of (= behind) the house.

  • If there's no reply at the front door, come round the back.

  • He put his jacket on the back of his chair (= the part of the chair that you put your back against when you sit on it).

  • The office was full of computers, and we had to sit back to back in long rows.

  • Coming up after the break, three Rolling Stones classics back to back.

  • You've put your jumper on back to front.

• 3 the part of your body that is opposite to the front, from your shoulders to your bottom:

  • I have a bad back.

  • Sleeping on a bed that is too soft can be bad for your back.

  • He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.

  • I turned my back (= turned around so that I could not see) while she dressed.

  • She put her back out (= caused a serious injury to her back) lifting a box.

• 4 (in some sports, such as football) one of the players in a team who try to stop players from the other team from scoring goals, rather than trying to score goals himself or herself

• 5 to give support to someone or something with money or words:

  • The management has refused to back our proposals.

• 6 to risk money by saying that you think a horse, team, etc. will win a race, game, or competition in order to win more money if they do:

  • The horse I backed came in last.

• 7 to (cause to) move backwards:

  • Ann gave up driving when she backed the car into the garage door.

  • Please could you back your car up a few feet so that I can get mine out of the driveway?

• 8 to cover the back of something with a material, often to make it stronger or thicker:

  • The material is backed with a heavy lining.

• 9 at or near the back of something:

  • She left the house by the back door.

  • The back seat of the car folds down.

• 10 paid after the end of a period of time when it should have been paid:

  • They owe the staff several thousand in back pay.

  • back rent/taxes

• 11 in, at, or toward a previous place or condition or an earlier time

• 12 farther away; to a farther place

• 13 having returned to a previous place or condition

• 14 at or near the back of something

• 15 the part of something that is farthest from the front

• 16 the part of your body opposite the front, from your neck to the top of your legs

• 17 to give support to someone or something with money or words

• 18 to move backward

• 19 to give support or approval to someone or something:

  • Shareholders will be asked to back the proposals.

• 20 to provide financial support for someone or something:

  • A handful of firms will sell more than $2 billion of bonds backed by home equity, credit card, and other loans.

  • Demand continues for government-backed loans.

  • Investors are snapping up asset-backed bonds.

• 21 pay, rent, tax, etc. that should have been paid or was expected at an earlier time:

  • Most of the back taxes due were for the years 2006 through 2008.

• 22 If something is on the back burner, it is not being dealt with at the present time, especially because it is not urgent or important, but it will be dealt with in the future:

  • Any plans of opening new restaurants are on the back burner until the recession ends.

  • I lost my job and had to put my plans to move house on the back burner.

• 23 to become less important (than something else):

  • Agriculture, which generates only about $50 million a year in revenue, takes a back seat to other industries like oil and gas that bring in billions of dollars.

  • Environmental issues take a back seat in tough economic times.

  • After appointing a new chief executive, the chairman of the fashion chain is finally taking a back seat at the business he founded.

• 24 in return or reply:

  • I'm busy at the moment - can I call you back?

  • I e-mailed the customer services department and they said they would get back to me tomorrow.