aback | (adverb) by surprise | - |
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(adverb) having the wind against the forward side of the sails | - |
ahorseback | (adjective) traveling on horseback | Synonyms: ahorse |
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(adverb) on the back of a horse | Synonyms: ahorse, horseback |
back | (adjective) related to or located at the back | - |
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(adjective) of an earlier date | - |
(adjective) located at or near the back of an animal | Synonyms: hind, hinder |
(noun) (American football) the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage | - |
(noun) the side that goes last or is not normally seen | Synonyms: rear |
(noun) a support that you can lean against while sitting | Synonyms: backrest |
(noun) the part of a garment that covers the back of your body | - |
(noun) the protective covering on the front, back, and spine of a book | Synonyms: binding, book binding, cover |
(noun) the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine | Synonyms: dorsum |
(noun) the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord | Synonyms: backbone, rachis, spinal column, spine, vertebral column |
(noun) the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer | Synonyms: rear |
(noun) (football) a person who plays in the backfield | - |
(adverb) at or to or toward the back or rear | Synonyms: backward, backwards, rearward, rearwards |
(adverb) in or to or toward a past time | Synonyms: backward |
(adverb) in repayment or retaliation | - |
(adverb) in or to or toward a former location | - |
(adverb) in or to or toward an original condition | - |
(adverb) in reply | - |
(verb) establish as valid or genuine | Synonyms: back up |
(verb) strengthen by providing with a back or backing | - |
(verb) shift to a counterclockwise direction | - |
(verb) place a bet on | Synonyms: bet on, gage, game, punt, stake |
(verb) travel backward | - |
(verb) cause to travel backward | - |
(verb) support financial backing for | - |
(verb) be behind; approve of | Synonyms: endorse, indorse, plump for, plunk for, support |
(verb) give support or one's approval to | Synonyms: endorse, indorse, second |
(verb) be in back of | - |
backache | (noun) an ache localized in the back | - |
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backband | (noun) a broad band that passes over the back of a horse and supports the shafts of a vehicle | - |
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backbeat | (noun) a loud steady beat | - |
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backbench | (noun) any of the seats occupied by backbenchers in the House of Commons | - |
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backbencher | (noun) a member of the House of Commons who is not a party leader | - |
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backbend | (noun) an acrobatic feat in which the trunk is bent backward from a standing position until the hands touch the floor | - |
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backbite | (verb) say mean things | Synonyms: bitch |
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backbiter | (noun) one who attacks the reputation of another by slander or libel | Synonyms: defamer, libeler, maligner, slanderer, traducer, vilifier |
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backblast | (noun) backfire from a recoilless weapon | Synonyms: back-blast |
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backboard | (noun) a board used to support the back of someone or something | - |
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(noun) a raised vertical board with basket attached; used to play basketball | Synonyms: basketball backboard |
backbone | (noun) the part of a network that connects other networks together | - |
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(noun) the part of a book's cover that encloses the inner side of the book's pages and that faces outward when the book is shelved | Synonyms: spine |
(noun) fortitude and determination | Synonyms: grit, gumption, guts, moxie, sand |
(noun) the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord | Synonyms: back, rachis, spinal column, spine, vertebral column |
(noun) a central cohesive source of support and stability | Synonyms: anchor, keystone, linchpin, lynchpin, mainstay |
backbreaking | (adjective) characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort | Synonyms: arduous, grueling, gruelling, hard, heavy, laborious, operose, punishing, toilsome |
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backchat | (noun) light teasing repartee | Synonyms: banter, give-and-take, raillery |
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backcloth | (noun) scenery hung at back of stage | Synonyms: backdrop, background |
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backcross | (verb) mate a hybrid of the first generation with one of its parents | - |
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backdate | (verb) make effective from an earlier date | - |
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backdoor | (noun) a secret or underhand means of access (to a place or a position) | Synonyms: back door |
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(noun) an entrance at the rear of a building | Synonyms: back door, back entrance |
(noun) an undocumented way to get access to a computer system or the data it contains | Synonyms: back door |
backdown | (noun) a retraction of a previously held position | Synonyms: climb-down, withdrawal |
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backdrop | (noun) scenery hung at back of stage | Synonyms: backcloth, background |
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backed | (adjective) having a back or backing, usually of a specified type | - |
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(adjective) used of film that is coated on the side opposite the emulsion with a substance to absorb light | - |
backer | (noun) someone who provides financial support for some venture | Synonyms: angel |
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backfield | (noun) the offensive football players who line up behind the linemen | - |
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backfire | (noun) a miscalculation that recoils on its maker | Synonyms: boomerang |
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(noun) a loud noise made by the explosion of fuel in the manifold or exhaust of an internal combustion engine | - |
(noun) the backward escape of gases and unburned gunpowder after a gun is fired | Synonyms: blowback |
(noun) a fire that is set intentionally in order to slow an approaching forest fire or grassfire by clearing a burned area in its path | - |
(verb) set a controlled fire to halt an advancing forest to prairie fire | - |
(verb) emit a loud noise as a result of undergoing a backfire | - |
(verb) come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect | Synonyms: backlash, recoil |
backflow | (noun) a flow that returns toward its source | Synonyms: backflowing |
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backflowing | (noun) a flow that returns toward its source | Synonyms: backflow |
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backgammon | (noun) a board game for two players; pieces move according to throws of the dice | - |
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background | (noun) scenery hung at back of stage | Synonyms: backcloth, backdrop |
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(noun) (computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear | Synonyms: desktop, screen background |
(noun) a person's social heritage: previous experience or training | - |
(noun) the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground | Synonyms: ground |
(noun) information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem | Synonyms: background knowledge |
(noun) extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured | Synonyms: background signal |
(noun) relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation | - |
(noun) the state of the environment in which a situation exists | Synonyms: scope, setting |
(verb) understate the importance or quality of | Synonyms: downplay, play down |
backgrounder | (noun) a press conference or interview in which a government official explains to reporters the background of an action or policy | - |
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backgrounding | (noun) the execution of low priority programs while higher priority programs are not using the processing system | Synonyms: background processing |
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backhand | (adjective) (of racket strokes) made across the body with back of hand facing direction of stroke | Synonyms: backhanded |
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(adjective) (of handwriting) having the letters slanting backward | Synonyms: left-slanting |
(noun) a return made with the back of the hand facing the direction of the stroke | Synonyms: backhand shot, backhand stroke |
(verb) hit a tennis ball backhand | - |
backhanded | (adjective) (of racket strokes) made across the body with back of hand facing direction of stroke | Synonyms: backhand |
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(adjective) roundabout or ambiguous | - |
backhander | (noun) a backhanded blow | - |
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backhoe | (noun) an excavator whose shovel bucket is attached to a hinged boom and is drawn backward to move earth | - |
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backing | (noun) the act of providing approval and support | Synonyms: backup, championship, patronage |
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(noun) something forming a back that is added for strengthening | Synonyms: mount |
(noun) financial resources provided to make some project possible | Synonyms: financial backing, financial support, funding, support |
backlash | (noun) an adverse reaction to some political or social occurrence | - |
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(noun) a movement back from an impact | Synonyms: rebound, recoil, repercussion |
(verb) come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect | Synonyms: backfire, recoil |
backless | (adjective) lacking a back | - |
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backlighting | (noun) lighting from behind | - |
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backlog | (noun) an accumulation of jobs not done or materials not processed that are yet to be dealt with (especially unfilled customer orders for products or services) | - |
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(noun) something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose | Synonyms: reserve, stockpile |
(noun) the large log at the back of a hearth fire | - |
(verb) accumulate and create a backlog | - |
backmost | (adjective) located farthest to the rear | Synonyms: hindermost, hindmost, rearmost |
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backpack | (noun) a bag carried by a strap on your back or shoulder | Synonyms: back pack, haversack, knapsack, packsack, rucksack |
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(verb) hike with a backpack | Synonyms: pack |
backpacker | (noun) a hiker who wears a backpack | Synonyms: packer |
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backpacking | (noun) carrying something in a pack on the back | Synonyms: packing |
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backpedal | (verb) modify one's opinion, make it less strong | - |
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(verb) pedal backwards on a bicycle | - |
(verb) step backwards, in boxing | - |
backplate | (noun) plate armor protecting the back; worn as part of a cuirass | - |
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backrest | (noun) a support that you can lean against while sitting | Synonyms: back |
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backroom | (noun) the meeting place of a group of leaders who make their decisions via private negotiations | - |
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backsaw | (noun) a handsaw that is stiffened by metal reinforcement along the upper edge | Synonyms: back saw |
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backscatter | (verb) scatter (radiation) by the atoms of the medium through which it passes | - |
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backscratcher | (noun) a long-handled scratcher for scratching your back | - |
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(noun) someone who is willing to trade favors or services for mutual advantage | - |
backseat | (noun) a seat at the back of a vehicle (especially the seat at the back of an automobile) | - |
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(noun) a secondary or inferior position or status | - |
backsheesh | (noun) a relatively small amount of money given for services rendered (as by a waiter) | Synonyms: baksheesh, bakshis, bakshish, gratuity, pourboire, tip |
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backside | (noun) the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on | Synonyms: arse, ass, behind, bottom, bum, buns, butt, buttocks, can, derriere, fanny, fundament, hind end, hindquarters, keister, nates, posterior, prat, rear, rear end, rump, seat, stern, tail, tail end, tooshie, tush |
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(noun) the side of an object that is opposite its front | Synonyms: back end, rear |
backslap | (verb) display excessive cordiality (towards) | - |
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backslapper | (noun) someone who demonstrates enthusiastic or excessive cordiality | - |
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backslide | (verb) drop to a lower level, as in one's morals or standards | Synonyms: lapse |
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backslider | (noun) someone who lapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior | Synonyms: recidivist, reversionist |
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backsliding | (noun) a failure to maintain a higher state | Synonyms: lapse, lapsing, relapse, relapsing, reversion, reverting |
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backspace | (noun) the typewriter key used for back spacing | Synonyms: backspace key, backspacer |
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(verb) hit the backspace key on a computer or typewriter keyboard | - |
backspacer | (noun) the typewriter key used for back spacing | Synonyms: backspace, backspace key |
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backspin | (noun) spin (usually of a moving ball) that retards or reverses the forward motion | - |
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backstage | (adjective) concealed from public view or attention | Synonyms: offstage |
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(noun) a stage area out of sight of the audience | Synonyms: offstage, wing |
(adverb) in or to a backstage area of a theater | - |
(adverb) out of view of the public; behind the scenes | - |
backstair | (adjective) secret and sly or sordid | Synonyms: backstairs, furtive |
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backstairs | (adjective) secret and sly or sordid | Synonyms: backstair, furtive |
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(noun) a second staircase at the rear of a building | - |
backstay | (noun) a stay that supports the back of something | - |
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backstitch | (noun) an overlapping stitch made by starting the next stitch at the middle of the preceding one | - |
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(verb) do backstitches | - |
backstop | (noun) a precaution in case of an emergency | - |
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(noun) (baseball) a fence or screen (as behind home plate) to prevent the ball from traveling out of the playing field | - |
(noun) (baseball) the person who plays the position of catcher | Synonyms: catcher |
(verb) act as a backstop | - |
backstroke | (noun) a swimming stroke that resembles the crawl except the swimmer lies on his or her back | - |
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(verb) swim on one's back | - |
backstroker | (noun) someone who swims the backstroke | - |
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backswept | (adjective) used of hair | Synonyms: sweptback |
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backswimmer | (noun) predaceous aquatic insect that swims on its back and may inflict painful bites | Synonyms: Notonecta undulata |
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backsword | (noun) a sword with only one cutting edge | - |
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(noun) a stick used instead of a sword for fencing | Synonyms: fencing stick, singlestick |
backtalk | (noun) an impudent or insolent rejoinder | Synonyms: back talk, lip, mouth, sass, sassing |
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backtrack | (verb) retrace one's course | Synonyms: double back, turn back |
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backup | (noun) the act of providing approval and support | Synonyms: backing, championship, patronage |
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(noun) (computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device | Synonyms: computer backup |
(noun) a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts | Synonyms: accompaniment, musical accompaniment, support |
(noun) someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult) | Synonyms: backup man, fill-in, relief, reliever, stand-in, substitute |
(noun) an accumulation caused by clogging or a stoppage | - |
backward | (adjective) directed or facing toward the back or rear | - |
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(adjective) (used of temperament or behavior) marked by a retiring nature | - |
(adjective) retarded in intellectual development | Synonyms: feebleminded, half-witted, slow-witted |
(adjective) having made less than normal progress | - |
(adverb) in a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal | Synonyms: backwards |
(adverb) in or to or toward a past time | Synonyms: back |
(adverb) at or to or toward the back or rear | Synonyms: back, backwards, rearward, rearwards |
backwardation | (noun) the market condition wherein the price of a forward or futures contract is trading below the expected spot price at contract maturity. | - |
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backwardness | (noun) lack of normal development of intellectual capacities | Synonyms: mental retardation, retardation, slowness, subnormality |
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backwards | (adverb) in a manner or order or direction the reverse of normal | Synonyms: backward |
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(adverb) at or to or toward the back or rear | Synonyms: back, backward, rearward, rearwards |
backwash | (noun) the wave that spreads behind a boat as it moves forward | Synonyms: wake |
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(noun) the flow of air that is driven backwards by an aircraft propeller | Synonyms: airstream, race, slipstream, wash |
(noun) the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event) | Synonyms: aftermath, wake |
backwater | (noun) a place or condition in which no development or progress is occurring | - |
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(noun) a body of water that was created by a flood or tide or by being held or forced back by a dam | - |
backwoods | (noun) a remote and undeveloped area | Synonyms: back country, boondocks, hinterland |
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backwoodsman | (noun) a man who lives on the frontier | Synonyms: frontiersman, mountain man |
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backyard | (noun) the grounds in back of a house | - |
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bareback | (adjective) riding without a saddle | Synonyms: barebacked |
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(adverb) without a saddle | Synonyms: barebacked |
barebacked | (adjective) riding without a saddle | Synonyms: bareback |
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(adverb) without a saddle | Synonyms: bareback |
biofeedback | (noun) a training program in which a person is given information about physiological processes (heart rate or blood pressure) that is not normally available with the goal of gaining conscious control of them | - |
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blowback | (noun) Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gases created by the ignition of the propellant charge. | - |
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(noun) misinformation resulting from the recirculation into the source country of disinformation previously planted abroad by that country's intelligence service | - |
(noun) the backward escape of gases and unburned gunpowder after a gun is fired | Synonyms: backfire |
buyback | (noun) the act of purchasing back something previously sold | Synonyms: redemption, repurchase |
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callback | (noun) a request by the manufacturer of a defective product to return the product (as for replacement or repair) | Synonyms: recall |
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canvasback | (noun) North American wild duck valued for sport and food | Synonyms: Aythya valisineria, canvasback duck |
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clawback | (noun) finding a way to take money back from people that they were given in another way | - |
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comeback | (noun) return by a celebrity to some previously successful activity | - |
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(noun) a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one) | Synonyms: counter, rejoinder, replication, retort, return, riposte |
cornerback | (noun) a defensive football player stationed outside the linebackers | - |
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crookback | (adjective) characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column | Synonyms: crookbacked, gibbous, humpbacked, humped, hunchbacked, kyphotic |
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(noun) a person whose back is hunched because of abnormal curvature of the upper spine | Synonyms: humpback, hunchback |
crookbacked | (adjective) characteristic of or suffering from kyphosis, an abnormality of the vertebral column | Synonyms: crookback, gibbous, humpbacked, humped, hunchbacked, kyphotic |
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cutback | (noun) a reduction in quantity or rate | - |
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diamondback | (noun) large deadly rattlesnake with diamond-shaped markings | Synonyms: Crotalus adamanteus, diamondback rattlesnake |
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