Main Entry:

⁴back

Function:

verb

Date:

1548

transitive verb

1 a: to support by material or moral assistance —often used with up b: substantiate c: to assume financial responsibility for d: to provide musical accompaniment for —often used with up2 a: to cause to go back or in reverse b: to articulate (a sound) with the tongue farther back3 a: to furnish with a back b: to be at the back ofintransitive verb1: to move backward —often used with up2of the wind : to shift counterclockwise — compare veer3: to have the back in the direction of something

synonyms see support, recede

— back·er \ˈba-kər\ noun

— back and fill

1: to manage the sails of a ship so as to keep it clear of obstructions as it floats down with the current of a river or channel2: to take opposite positions alternately : shilly-shally

— back into

: to get into inadvertently <backed into the antiques business>