back

adjective

1. At or near the rear.

   “Go in the back door of the house.”

2. Returned or restored to a previous place or condition.

   “He was on vacation, but now he’s back.”

3. Not current.

   “I’d like to find a back issue of that magazine.”

4. Situated away from the main or most frequented areas.

   “They took a back road.”

adverb

1. To or in a previous condition or place.

   “He gave back the money.”

2. In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.

   “Someone pushed me in the chest and I fell back.”

3. In a direction opposite to the usual or desired direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively.

   “Wind the film back a few frames.”

4. Towards, into or in the past.

   “These records go back years.”

noun

1. The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.

   “Could you please scratch my back?”

2. The spine and associated tissues.

   “I hurt my back lifting those crates.”

3. Large and attractive buttocks.

verb

1. To go in the reverse direction.

   “The train backed into the station.”

2. To support.

   “I back you all the way.”

3. To change direction contrary to the normal pattern; that is, to shift anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, or clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

4. To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.

noun

1. A large shallow vat; a cistern, tub, or trough, used by brewers, distillers, dyers, picklers, gluemakers, and others, for mixing or cooling wort, holding water, hot glue, etc.

2. A ferryboat.