Meanings
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1
noun
chiefly British, dated: a roller coaster or amusement ride with steep rises and descents
The sudden plunge felt like the first drop on a switchback.
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2
noun
a railway arrangement on a steep slope in which a train reverses direction at successive switches
The mountain railway climbed by means of a switchback cut into the slope.
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3
noun
a road, path, or course with a succession of sharp bends, steep climbs, and descents
The narrow switchback carried the road up the mountainside.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From switch + back. The railway sense refers to switching a train onto another track so that it proceeds back in the opposite direction; the amusement-ride and winding-course senses developed from that repeated reversal.