backpack
82
back·pack¹ /'bækpæk/ n especially AmE a RUCKSACK carried on
one's back, often supported by a light metal frame, used by
climbers and walkers or for carrying a baby or small child
—~er n
backpack² v [I] AmE to walk and camp overnight carrying a
backpack: They went backpacking in Australia.
back 'passage n euph for RECTUM
back·ped·al /ˌbæk'pedl||'bækˌpedl/ v -ll- BrE || -l- AmE
[I] 1 to PEDAL backwards on a bicycle 2 infml to change an
earlier principle or draw back from some promised action:
They promised to cut taxes, but they're backpedalling now.
back·rest /'bækrest/ n the part of a chair or seat that
supports your back
back·room boy /'bækruːm ˌbɔɪ, -ruːm-/ n [often pl.] infml,
especially BrE a person whose work is important but who does
not receive recognition from the public, often because they
are working to support someone else: Engineers are often
seen as the backroom boys of British industry.
'backˌscratching n [U] the act of doing nice things for
someone in order to get something in return
,back 'seat n 1 [C] a seat at the back of a car, behind where
the driver sits 2 [S] a less important position: After five
years as a director, she's decided to take a back seat.
,back-seat 'driver n a passenger in a motor vehicle who
gives unwanted advice to the driver about how to drive: (fig.)
Mrs Thatcher promised that she wouldn't be a back-seat
driver in the House of Commons.
back·side /'bæksaɪd/ n infml the part of the body on which
one sits → compare BACK¹
back·slap·ping /'bækslæpɪŋ/ n [U] (too much) noisy cheer-
fulness, showing admiration for one's own success: The cast
indulged in a great deal of backslapping when the show
became an overnight success. —per n
back·slide /ˌbæk'slaɪd||'bækslaɪd/ v [I] to become less good,
work less hard etc, and especially to go back to a worse
condition after some improvement: I managed to keep off
cigarettes for two months, but recently I'm afraid I've begun to
backslide. —slider n
back·space /'bækspes/ n [C usually sing.] the part that one
presses to make the movable part of a TYPEWRITER move back
one or more spaces towards the beginning of the line
back·spin /'bækspɪn/ n [U] turning movement given to a
ball in such a way that it turns in the opposite direction to
that in which it goes forward
back·stab·bing /'bækstæbɪŋ/ n [U] the act of secretly
doing bad things to someone else, especially saying bad
things about them, in order to gain an advantage for
yourself —er n [C]
back·stage /ˌbæk'steɪdʒ/ adv 1 behind the stage in a thea-
tre, especially in(to) the dressing rooms of the actors: After
the performance we were invited backstage. 2 in private; not
seen publicly; secretly: That's what they say, but who knows
what really goes on backstage? —backstage /'bæksteɪdʒ/ adj
[A] backstage workers
back·stairs /'bæksteəz||-steər/ adj [A] secret and perhaps
unfair: backstage influence
'back street n [usually pl.] a street away from the main streets,
especially in a poor area of a town → compare SIDE STREET
,back-street a'bortion also ,back-alley a'bortion AmE
— n an ABORTION performed illegally, usually in poor dirty
conditions. People who are in favour of legal abortions often
argue that if abortions are made illegal again, as they were in
the past, there will be a return to back-street abortions.
back·stroke /'bækstrəʊk/ n [S] a way of swimming on
one's back by moving first one arm and then the other
backwards while kicking the feet
back·swing /'bækswɪŋ/ n the movement of a CLUB, BAT etc
backwards to a position from which the forward or down-
ward swing is made
'back talk n [U] especially AmE for BACKCHAT
,back-to-'back n BrE a house in a row (= TERRACE) built with
its back against the back of a house in a parallel row. This
kind of house was once typical of industrial towns in the
north of England.
back·track /'bæktræk/ v [I] 1 to go back over the same
path 2 to draw back from a former position, promise etc
BACKPEDAL: The government is already backtracking from its
more expensive plans.
back·up /'bækʌp/ n [C;U] a thing or person ready to be used
in place of or to help another: We can't do it unless we have a
lot of technical backup. | We have a backup computer in case
the main one breaks down. → see also BACK UP
back·ward /'bækwəd||-wərd/ adj 1 [A] directed towards the
back, the beginning, or the past: a backward glance 2 late in
development: a backward child | Some backward parts of the
country have no electricity. → compare FORWARD² —ly adv
—~ness n [U]
back·ward·a·tion /ˌbækwə'deɪʃən||-wɔːr-/ n [U] BrE tech the
money paid by someone selling STOCK for the right to delay
delivery until the following account → compare CONTANGO
'backward-,looking adj old-fashioned in your ideas or
methods, and having a negative attitude towards anything
modern: Dean FITZER changed the backward-looking academy
into an internationally famous art school.
back·wards /'bækwədz||-wərdz/ also backward AmE —
adv 1 towards the back, the beginning, or the past: I walked
backwards down the stairs, carrying the heavy box. | Can you
say the alphabet backwards? (=from Z to A) 2 with the back
part in front: to walk backwards | You've put your hat on
backwards. 3 towards a worse state: The new measures are
seen by some as a major step backwards. 4 backwards and
forwards first in one direction and then in the opposite
direction 5 bend/lean over backwards to try as hard as
possible to help or please someone: We bent over backwards
to help them. 6 know something backwards BrE || know
something backwards and forwards AmE to know some-
thing perfectly: All the actors know the play backwards. →
compare FORWARD¹
back·wa·ter /'bækwɔːtə||-wɔːr-, -wɑː-/ n 1 a part of a river
out of the main stream, where the water does not
move 2 often derog a place not influenced by outside events
or new ideas: There aren't any good shops in this village – it's
a real backwater. | a cultural backwater
back·woods /'bækwʊdz/ n [the+sing./pl. v] 1 (especially in N.
America) uncleared land far away from towns 2 a distant or
backward area
back·woods·man /'bækwʊdzmən/ n pl. -men /-mən/
1 someone who lives in the backwoods 2 BrE infml a member
of the House of Lords who lives in the country and hardly
ever attends its meetings
back·yard /ˌbæk'jɑːd||-'jɑːrd/ n 1 BrE a yard behind a
house, covered with a hard surface 2 AmE an area of land
behind a house, usually covered with grass; a back garden:
The children are playing in the backyard. → see GAR-
DEN 3 not in my backyard not in or near the place where I
live. This phrase is used when discussing new industrial
buildings, prisons, or processes which are thought to be
harmful to the environment: When it comes to setting up
disposal sites for nuclear waste, the reaction of most people is
'not in my backyard!' → see also NIMBY
ba·con /'beɪkən/ n [U] 1 salted or smoked meat from the
back or sides of a pig, often served in narrow thin pieces:
Bacon and eggs, cooked together in fat, is thought of as
being the typical English breakfast. → compare GAMMON;
HAM; see MEAT (USAGE) 2 bring home the bacon infml to
succeed, especially in providing food for one's family → see
also save one's bacon (SAVE¹)
Bacon, Francis (1909-92) an Irish artist who is known for
painting people and animals in twisted shapes with dark
strong colours → see colour photo on page A29
Bacon, Kev·in /'kevɪn/ (1958-) an American actor who has
performed in many films, including Footloose. There is a
game that people play at parties, called 'Six Degrees of Kevin
Bacon', in which the aim is to explain a link between any
actor and Kevin Bacon. For example, Rudolph Valentino was
in a film in 1926 with June Lockhart, who was in a film in
1940 with Montague Love, who was in a film with Kevin
Bacon in 1989. From Valentino to Bacon takes three steps, so
Rudolph Valentino has a 'Bacon score' of 3.
Bacon, Sir Francis (1561-1626) an English politician, PHI-
LOSOPHER, and writer. Some people believe that he wrote
some or all of Shakespeare's plays.