backbone C2+ Topic:The Human Body Also spelled back-bone US /ˈbækboʊn/ UK /ˈbækbəʊn/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun the spine; the chief support or strength of something Small farms were once the backbone of the local economy. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the spine; the chief... spinesupportmainstaypillarresolvefortitude ↔ Opposites weaknesscowardice Word family Derived forms backbonedbackboneless Related forms backbone Etymology AI details From Middle English bakbon, from back + bone; the figurative sense of 'firmness of character' developed from the spine's role as the body's main support. bæc Old English bān Old English View etymology graph -> Topics The Human Body External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # backbone **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˈbækboʊn/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈbækbəʊn/ ## Meanings 1. the spine; the chief support or strength of something ## Examples - Small farms were once the backbone of the local economy. ## Synonyms - spine - support - mainstay - pillar - resolve - fortitude ## Antonyms - weakness - cowardice ## Derived Forms - backboned - backboneless ## Related Forms - back - bone ## Roots and Affixes - Root: bæc - Root: bān ## Etymology From Middle English bakbon, from back + bone; the figurative sense of 'firmness of character' developed from the spine's role as the body's main support. ## AI Etymology Backbone is from Middle English bakbon, from back + bone; the figurative sense of 'firmness of character' developed from the spine's role as the body's main support. Important recorded forms include bæc (Old English) and bān (Old English). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers the spine; the chief support or strength of something. The wider family includes derived forms such as backboned and backboneless and related words such as back and bone. ## Topics - The Human Body markdown