- back
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 part of the bodyADJECTIVE▪ broad▪ slender▪ muscular, strong▪ bent▪ straight▪ lower, upper▪ bare▪
The sun beat down on their bare backs.
▪ aching, bad, sore, stiff▪He's in bed with a bad back.
▪ broken▪He spent six months recovering from a broken back.
VERB + BACK▪ bend, hunch (esp. AmE)▪He hunches his back when he walks.
▪ straighten▪ stretch▪He yawned and stretched his back as he got out of bed.
▪ break, hurt, injure▪ arch▪The cat arched its back and hissed at the dog.
▪ lean▪He leaned his back against the bar.
▪ support▪ caress, massage, pat, rub, stroke (esp. BrE)▪ scratchBACK + VERB▪ arch▪ stiffen, straighten▪His back stiffened as he saw the photographers waiting.
▪ ache, hurtBACK + NOUN▪ injury, pain, trouble▪ muscles▪ support▪a seat with good back support
▪ massage, rub▪Would you give me a back rub?
PREPOSITION▪ behind sb's back▪They tied his hands behind his back.
▪People say bad things about him behind his back, but never to his face. (figurative)
▪ flat on your back▪I was flat on my back for six weeks when I broke my leg.
▪ on your back▪He was carrying a small child on his back.
▪She was lying on her back on the sofa.
▪ in the/your back▪I have a nagging pain in my lower back.
▪ back to▪He was standing with his back to the fire.
PHRASES▪ sb's back is turned▪The boss was certain that the staff would stop working as soon as his back was turned. (figurative)
▪ back to back▪The children sat back to back.
▪ a pat on the back, a slap on the back▪He smiled and gave me a hearty slap on the back.
▪She deserves a pat on the back for her efforts. (figurative)
▪ the small of your back▪She felt a sharp pain in the small her back.
▪ turn your back (on sb/sth)▪Actors should never turn their backs on the audience.
▪She decided to turn her back on Paris and return home. (figurative)
▪ watch your back (= be careful because people may want to harm you.)▪I warned her she should watch her back.
2 part furthest from the frontPREPOSITION▪ around back (AmE), around the back (BrE), round the back (BrE) (= to the area behind the house, etc.)▪Come around back and I'll show you the pool.
▪If you'd like to come round the back, I'll show you the garden.
▪ at the back▪We could only get seats at the back.
▪ down the back▪My money's all fallen down the back of the cushion.
▪ in back (AmE)▪There's room for three people in back.
▪ in the back (BrE)▪Two passengers sat in the back of the car.
▪ to the back▪The cup had been pushed to the back of the cupboard.
▪ towards/toward the back▪The arts page is usually towards/toward the back of the newspaper.
PHRASES▪ back to front (BrE)▪{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}I had my pullover on back to front.
verb1 move backADVERB▪ hastily, hurriedly, immediately, quickly▪She backed away hurriedly.
▪ slowly▪He backed slowly out of the room.
▪ instinctively▪They instinctively backed away from the intense heat.
▪ cautiously, nervously▪He took a step forward and she nervously backed away.
▪ away, in, off, up▪Try backing the car in—it's easier that way.
▪Back off! There's no need to yell at me.
▪Can you back your car up so that I can get through?
VERB + BACK▪ try to▪He tried to back away.
PREPOSITION▪ across▪She backed across the room.
▪ away from▪The children backed away from him in fear.
▪ into▪She backed into the garage.
▪ out of▪He backed out of the drive.
2 support sb/sthADVERB▪ strongly▪Teachers are strongly backing the new educational policies.
▪ fully▪ overwhelmingly▪ unanimously▪ openly, publicly▪ financially▪his election bid was financially backed by a soft drinks company.
▪ up▪I'll back you up if they don't believe you.
PHRASAL VERBback downVERB + BACK DOWN▪ will (not)▪He will never back down.
▪ refuse to▪ be forced to (esp. BrE), have toPREPOSITION▪ from▪The government was forced to back down from implementing these proposals.
▪ over▪The committee finally backed down over the issue of spending cuts.
Back is used with these nouns as the object: ↑amendment, ↑appeal, ↑bill, ↑candidate, ↑car, ↑hunch, ↑initiative, ↑judgement, ↑loser, ↑move, ↑proposal, ↑rebel, ↑reform, ↑regime, ↑resolution, ↑scheme, ↑winner{{Roman}}III.{{/Roman}}adj.Back is used with these nouns: ↑alley, ↑bedroom, ↑bench, ↑bumper, ↑copy, ↑corner, ↑cover, ↑deck, ↑door, ↑end, ↑entrance, ↑exit, ↑fence, ↑foot, ↑garden, ↑gate, ↑half, ↑issue, ↑lane, ↑lawn, ↑leg, ↑office, ↑order, ↑page, ↑part, ↑pass, ↑passage, ↑pay, ↑pocket, ↑porch, ↑rent, ↑road, ↑room, ↑row, ↑seat, ↑spin, ↑stair, ↑staircase, ↑step, ↑story, ↑street, ↑tax, ↑tooth, ↑tyre, ↑view, ↑vowel, ↑wage, ↑wall, ↑wheel, ↑window, ↑wing, ↑yard
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
