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A1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US [bax] UK /bæk/ See IPA manual

Freq #77

Meanings

1

adv
To or toward the place, position, or time something came from.

They went back to their parents' house.
2

adv
In the direction behind you.

They moved back to get away from the cameras.
3

adv
In reply or in return.

They wrote back three days later.
4

noun
The part of something that supports your back when you sit.

The back of the chair was adjustable.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adv · in the direction behind you. backward backwards

4 noun · the part of something that... backrest

More dorsumreverse

Opposites

current front main veer

Word family

Forms backedbacks

Derived forms a-backabackabackwardarrowbackassbackback-of-an-envelopeback-of-the-envelopeback-padbackachebackachingbackakebackhoe

Related forms bacon

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-der.? Proto-Germanic *baką Proto-West Germanic *bak Old English bæc Middle English bak English back From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *baką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback. Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”).

bak Middle English bæc Old English *bak Proto-West Germanic *baką Proto-Germanic *bʰeg- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

External links

# back

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv, noun
**IPA (US):** [bax]
**IPA (UK):** /bæk/
**Frequency rank:** 77

## Meanings
1. To or toward the place, position, or time something came from.
2. In the direction behind you.
3. In reply or in return.
4. The part of something that supports your back when you sit.

## Examples
- They went back to their parents' house.
- They moved back to get away from the cameras.
- They wrote back three days later.
- The back of the chair was adjustable.

## Synonyms
- dorsum
- reverse

## Antonyms
- current
- front
- main
- veer

## Derived Forms
- a-back
- aback
- abackward
- arrowback
- assback
- back-of-an-envelope
- back-of-the-envelope
- back-pad
- backache
- backaching
- backake
- backhoe

## Related Forms
- bacon

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bak
- Root: bæc
- Root: *bak
- Root: *baką
- Root: *bʰeg-

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-der.? Proto-Germanic *baką Proto-West Germanic *bak Old English bæc Middle English bak English back From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *baką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback. Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”).

## AI Etymology
Back comes from Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *baką, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to bend”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback. Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”). Back follows a historical chain through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-, Proto-Germanic *baką, Proto-West Germanic *bak, Old English bæc, Middle English bak, English back.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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