backstop (ˈbækˌstɒp
)
Definitions
noun
- sport a screen or fence to prevent balls leaving the playing area
- a block or catch to prevent excessive backward movement, such as one on the sliding seat of a rowing boat
verb
(tr)- US to provide with backing or support
Usage examples
Posted on a sharp reverse slope where the hill behind them fell more steeply, these thirty men constituted a backstop.
, In Love and War (1989)Environmentalist John Bennett of the Sierra Club said an agreement with no legislative backstop would be useless.
canada.com (2005)"Having a plan B will help during negotiations and will give you the confidence of a backstop.
Times, Sunday Times (2002)East of their confluence the plains ran to the Black Sea, backstop of the Rumanian front.
, Knight's Cross (1994)