pig·gy·back
ˈpi-gē-ˌbak 
1
: up on the back and shoulders
2
: on or as if on the back of another
especially
: on a railroad flatcar
variants
or less commonly pickaback
1
: the act of carrying piggyback
2
: the movement of loaded truck trailers on railroad flatcars
variants
or less commonly pickaback
1
: marked by being up on the shoulders and back
a child needs hugging, tussling, and piggyback rides—
Benjamin Spock
Benjamin Spock2
: carried or transported piggyback: such as
a
: of or relating to the hauling of truck trailers on railroad flatcars
b
: being or relating to something carried into space as an extra load by a vehicle (such as a spacecraft)
variants
or less commonly pickaback
piggybacked also pickabacked; piggybacking also pickabacking; piggybacks also pickabacks
1
: to carry up on the shoulders and back
2
: to haul (something, such as a truck trailer) by railroad car
3
: to set up or cause to function in conjunction with something larger, more important, or already in existence or operation
: to function or be carried on or as if on the back of another
Did you know?
Piggyback was first used in the 16th century as an adverb, meaning "up on the back and shoulders" (as in "the child was carried piggyback"). It comes from a phrase of unknown origin, a pick pack. There is also the less-common adverb pickaback. The verb piggyback didn't piggyback on the adverb until the 19th century.
Examples of piggyback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 17 July 2025
Manaea is expected to enter the game after starter Clay Holmes and work as a piggyback reliever on Sunday.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Lindsey Konkel, Discover Magazine, 25 Jan. 2010
Mark Hamill also celebrated his Star Wars costar's birthday on Sunday by re-posting their infamous piggyback picture.
—Glenn Garner, PEOPLE.com, 10 Apr. 2022
Danielle Directo-Meston, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025
Three months later, the DOJ filed a fraud lawsuit against Davis and CPS that piggybacked on the claims of seven whistleblowers.
—Brett Kelman, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for piggyback
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Noun
That means the Dodgers could be in position to choose from All-Stars Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw, Glasnow and Snell, Ohtani and his most recent piggyback partner Emmet Sheehan for a postseason rotation with Roki Sasaki and Dustin May as wild cards.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 17 July 2025
Manaea is expected to enter the game after starter Clay Holmes and work as a piggyback reliever on Sunday.
—Will Sammon, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Adjective
Trials in mice showed that this piggyback approach increased the ability of the immune system to recognize the toxin.
—Lindsey Konkel, Discover Magazine, 25 Jan. 2010
Mark Hamill also celebrated his Star Wars costar's birthday on Sunday by re-posting their infamous piggyback picture.
—Glenn Garner, PEOPLE.com, 10 Apr. 2022
Verb
As shoppers open their wallets for Amazon’s four-day Prime Day, other retailers are piggybacking off the e-tailer’s shopping holiday with their own rival deals.
—Danielle Directo-Meston, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025
Three months later, the DOJ filed a fraud lawsuit against Davis and CPS that piggybacked on the claims of seven whistleblowers.
—Brett Kelman, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for piggyback
Cite this Entry
“Piggyback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piggyback. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
piggyback
1 of 2 adverb or adjective
pig·gy·back
ˈpig-ē-ˌbak
variants
also pickaback
ˈpig-ē-ˌbak
ˈpik-ə-
1
: on the back or shoulders
2
: on a railroad flatcar
piggyback
2 of 2 noun
: the act of carrying piggyback
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