back

I

adj., adv.

1) back to (things are back to normal)

2) way back (way back in the eighteenth century)

3) (misc.) to go back on one's promise/word ('to fail to keep one's promise')

II

n.

part of the body opposite to the front

1) to turn one's back to smb.; (usu. fig.) to turn one's back on smb.

2) to arch one's back (the cat arched its back)

3) a broad back

4) on one's, smb.'s back (to lie on one's back; a heavy bag was on his back)

5) to stand back to back; they stood with their backs to the door

rear part

6) at, in the back (of) (a room at the back of the house; we sat in the back of the car)

7) from the back

area behind smt.

8) at the, in (AE) back of (BE: a garden at the back of the house = AE: a yard in back of the house)

misc.

9) he did it behind my back ('he did it without my knowledge'); in the back of one's mind ('subconsciously'); to break one's back ('to work very hard'); to get one's back up ('to balk at smt.'); get off my back (colloq.) ('leave me alone'); if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours (colloq.) ('if you help me, I'll help you'); in back of (AE) ('behind'); to have one's back to the wall ('to be in a desperate position'); to break the back of a job ('to do most of a job'); to put some back into one's work ('to make a maximum physical effort'); who will sit in back?

III

v.

1) (D; tr.) ('to support') to back against (the independents will back us against the majority party)

2) (D; tr.) to back for (we will back her for public office)

3) (d; intr., tr.) ('to move') to back into (to back into a garage; she backed the car into the driveway)

4) (d; intr., tr.) to back out of (he backed out of the driveway; to back a car out of a garage)

5) (D; intr.) ('to withdraw') to back out of (they backed out of the deal)

* * *

[bæk]

(usu. fig.) to turn one's back on smb.

if you scratch my back

they stood with their backs to the door

who will sit in back?

in back of ('behind'; AE)

I'll scratch yours ('if you help me, I'll help you'; colloq.)

get off my back ('leave me alone'; colloq.)

in the back of one's mind ('subconsciously')

to get one's back up ('to balk at smt. ')

to have one's back to the wall ('to be in a desperate position')

to break the back of a job ('to do most of a job')

to put some back into one's work ('to make a maximum physical effort')

to break one's back ('to work very hard')

in (AE) back of (BE: a garden at the back of the house = AE: a yard in back of the house)

in the back (a room at the back of the house; we sat in the back of the car; of)

smb. 's back (to lie on one's back; a heavy bag was on his back)

['area behind smt. '] at the

['part of the body opposite to the front'] to turn one's back to smb.

['rear part'] at

a broad back

from the back

on one's

to stand' back to back

['misc. '] he did it behind my back ('he did it without my knowledge')

(misc.) to go back on one's promise/word ('to fail to keep one's promise')

(colloq.) (AE) (d; intr.) to backagainst ('to oppose')

(d; intr., tr.) to back out of (he backed out of the driveway; to backa car out of a garage)

to arch one's back (the cat arched its back)

(D;tr.) ('to support') to backagainst (the independents will back us against the majority! party)

(D; intr.) ('to withdraw') to back out of (they backed out of the deal)

back to (things are back to normal)

(D; intr.) ('to make an all-out effort') to back for (to back for a promotion)

(d; intr., tr.) ('to move') to back into (to back into a garage; she backed the car, . into the driveway)

(D; tr.) to back for (we will back her for public office)

way back (back back in the eighteenth century)