English Dictionary

Definition of “backing”

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backing (ˈbækɪŋPronunciation for backing) 

Definitions

noun

  1. support given to a person, cause, or enterprise
  2. a body of supporters
  3. something that forms, protects, supports, or strengthens the back of something
  4. theatre a scenic cloth or flat placed behind a window, door, etc, in a set to mask the offstage space
  5. British musical accompaniment, esp for a pop singer
  6. the support in gold or precious metals for a country's issue of money in notes
  7. meteorology an anticlockwise change in wind direction
  8. Northern England a passageway running behind a row of terraced houses

1back1 (bækPronunciation for back1) 

Definitions

noun

  1. the posterior part of the human body, extending from the neck to the pelvis 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. See at one's back
  14. See at the back of one's mind
  15. See behind one's back
  16. See break one's back
  17. See break the back of
  18. See on one's back
  19. See get off someone's back
  20. See have on one's back
  21. See on someone's back
  22. See put one's back into
  23. See put someone's back up
  24. See see the back of
  25. See back of beyond
  26. See turn one's back on
  27. See with one's back to the wall

verb (mainly tr)

  1. (also intr) to move or cause to move backwards
  2. to provide support, money, or encouragement for (a person, enterprise, etc)
  3. to bet on the success of  ⇒ to back a horse 
  4. to provide with a back, backing, or lining
  5. to provide with a music accompaniment  ⇒ a soloist backed by an orchestra 
  6. to provide a background for; be at the back of  ⇒ mountains back the town 
  7. to countersign or endorse
  8. archaic to mount the back of
  9. (intr; foll by on or onto) to have the back facing (towards)  ⇒ the house backs onto a river 
  10. (intr) (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)
  11. nautical to position (a sail) so that the wind presses on its opposite side
  12. See back and fill

adjective (prenominal)

  1. situated behind  ⇒ a back lane 
  2. of the past  ⇒ back issues of a magazine 
  3. owing from an earlier date  ⇒ back rent 
  4. mainly US Australian New Zealand remote  ⇒ back country 
  5. (of a road) not direct
  6. moving in a backward direction  ⇒ back current 
  7. phonetics of, relating to, or denoting a vowel articulated with the tongue retracted towards the soft palate, as for the vowels in English 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

  1. at, to, or towards the rear; away from something considered to be the front; backwards; behind
  2. in, to, or towards the original starting point, place, or condition  ⇒ to go back home put the book back my headache has come back 
  3. in or into the past  ⇒ to look back on one's childhood 
  4. in reply, repayment, or retaliation  ⇒ to hit someone back pay back a debt to answer back 
  5. in check  ⇒ the dam holds back the water 
  6. in concealment; in reserve  ⇒ to keep something back to hold back information 
  7. See back and forth
  8. See back to front

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

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= backwards, in reverse, towards the rear towards the back rearwards,
= again, as before
= at a distance far, away, apart, out of the way,
= ago, before, earlier, in the past, previously,
= spine, backbone, vertebrae, spinal column, vertebral column,
= rear, other side back end, rear side
= end, tail end,
= reverse, rear, other side wrong side, underside, flip side, verso,
= end,
= hind part stern, backside, far end tail end, posterior, hindquarters,
= rear,
= rearmost, hind, hindmost,
= previous, earlier, former, past, out of date, elapsed,
= tail, end, rear, posterior, dorsal,
= overdue, delayed,
= support, help, second, aid, champion, encourage, favour, defend, promote, sanction, sustain, assist, advocate, endorse, side with stand up for, espouse, stand behind countenance, abet, stick up for, take up the cudgels for
= subsidize, help, support, finance, sponsor, assist, underwrite,
= gamble on, bet (money) on speculate on punt on put money on, take a risk on put your shirt on stake money on chance money on wager money on pledge money on venture money on
= accompany,

Translations

  • British English: backing Pronunciation for backing Backing is money, resources, or support given to a person or organization.He set up his own business with the backing of his old boss.ˈbækɪŋ NOUN He set up his own business with the backing of his old boss.
  • Spanish: respaldo Pronunciation for respaldo nm
  • French: soutien Pronunciation for soutien nm
  • German: Unterstützung Pronunciation for Unterstützung nf
  • Chinese: 援助Pronunciation for 援助 n
  • Arabic: دَعْمPronunciation for دَعْم n
  • Portuguese: reforçoPronunciation for reforço nm
  • Russian: поддержкаPronunciation for поддержка nf
  • Croatian: podrškaPronunciation for podrška nf
  • Czech: podporaPronunciation for podpora nf
  • Danish: støttePronunciation for støtte nutr
  • Dutch: ruggensteunPronunciation for ruggensteun nm
  • Finnish: tukiPronunciation for tuki n
  • Greek: υποστήριξηPronunciation for υποστήριξη nf
  • Italian: rivestimentoPronunciation for rivestimento nm
  • Japanese: 支援Pronunciation for 支援 n
  • Korean: 후원Pronunciation for 후원 n
  • Norwegian: støttePronunciation for støtte nm
  • Polish: tłoPronunciation for tło nnt
  • Brazilian Portuguese: reforçoPronunciation for reforço nm
  • European Spanish: respaldo Pronunciation for respaldo nm
  • Swedish: backningPronunciation for backning nutr
  • Thai: ความช่วยเหลือ ผู้ช่วยเหลือPronunciation for ความช่วยเหลือ ผู้ช่วยเหลือ n
  • Turkish: desteklemePronunciation for destekleme n
  • Vietnamese: sự ủng hộPronunciation for sự ủng hộ n

Usage examples

  • I never use the things save on business travels, the receipts nicely backing up your expense accounts.
    Gagman, Maurice, Doubtful Motives (1987)
  • Minority report However, a small minority of doctors continue to dispute the evidence backing MMR's safety.
    New Scientist (2003)
  • The 49ers ' current sponsorship backing takes three forms: lead sponsorship, associate sponsorship or "campaign partnership".
    Irish Times (2002)
  • A police authority source said Mr Whitehouse's backing of the promotions was'the final straw '.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • With the backing of the National Farmers Union, Thames Valley Vegetable Growers was set up.
    Joanna Blythman, SHOPPED: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets (2004)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'B'

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