different between back vs bellows
back
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /bæk/, [bæk], [bak], [-k?], [-?k]
- (Scouse) IPA(key): [bax]
- Rhymes: -æk
- Hyphenation: back
Etymology 1
From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *bak?, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *b?ogo (literally “bending”). 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]”).
Adjective
back (not generally comparable, comparative more back, superlative most back)
- At or near the rear.
- Not current.
- Situated away from the main or most frequented areas.
- In arrears; overdue.
- Moving or operating backward.
- (comparable, phonetics) Pronounced with the highest part of the body of the tongue toward the back of the mouth, near the soft palate (most often describing a vowel).
Usage notes
In linguistic use describing the position of the tongue, the comparative backer and superlative backest are usual; these may also be occasionally found for other senses, especially informally.
Synonyms
- (near the rear): rear
- (not current): former, previous
Antonyms
- (near the rear, phonetics): front
- (not current): current
- (away from the main area): main (of roads)
Translations
See also
- back vowel
Adverb
back (comparative further back, superlative furthest back)
- (not comparable) To or in a previous condition or place.
- In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.
- Someone pushed me in the chest and I fell back.
- The grandfather clock toppled back and crashed to the ground.
- Her arm was bent back at an odd angle.
- In a direction opposite to the usual or desired direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively.
- So as to reverse direction and return.
- The light bounces back off the mirror.
- Towards, into or in the past.
- Away from someone or something; at a distance.
- Keep back! It could explode at any moment!
- Away from the front or from an edge.
- So as shrink, recede or move aside, or cause to do so.
- This tree is dying back.
- Clear back all this vegetation.
- Draw back the curtains and let in some light.
- In a manner that impedes.
- (not comparable) In a reciprocal manner; in return.
- (postpositive) Earlier, ago.
- To a later point in time. See also put back.
Translations
Postposition
back
- Before now, ago
- Woods, John (1822) Two Years' Residence in the Settlement on the English Prairie, in the Illinois Country, United States (in English), page 138: “Our road was chiefly through woods, and part of it lay through the Hurricane-track, that is where a strong wind, some years back, opened a passage through the woods for a mile in breadth...”
Noun
back (plural backs)
- The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.
- The spine and associated tissues.
- (slang, uncountable) Large and attractive buttocks.
- (figuratively) The part of a piece of clothing which covers the back.
- The backrest, the part of a piece of furniture which receives the human back.
- (obsolete) That part of the body that bears clothing. (Now used only in the phrase clothes on one's back.)
- The spine and associated tissues.
- That which is farthest away from the front.
- The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side.
- The edge of a book which is bound.
- (printing) The inside margin of a page.
- The side of a blade opposite the side used for cutting.
- The edge of a book which is bound.
- The reverse side; the side that is not normally seen.
- Area behind, such as the backyard of a house.
- The part of something that goes last.
- (sports) In some team sports, a position behind most players on the team.
- The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side.
- (figuratively) Upper part of a natural object which is considered to resemble an animal's back.
- A support or resource in reserve.
- (nautical) The keel and keelson of a ship.
- (mining) The roof of a horizontal underground passage.
- (slang, uncountable) Effort, usually physical.
- A non-alcoholic drink (often water or a soft drink), to go with hard liquor or a cocktail.
- Among leather dealers, one of the thickest and stoutest tanned hides.
- 1848, Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Maine Reports (volume 6, page 397)
- […] as delivered by a tanner the average weight of a back and two strips would be about 42 pounds […].
- 1848, Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Maine Reports (volume 6, page 397)
Synonyms
- (side opposite the visible side): reverse
- (rear of the body): dorsum
Hyponyms
- (lower rear of the body): See Thesaurus:buttocks
Antonyms
- (side opposite the front or useful side): front
- (that which is farthest away from the front): front
Coordinate terms
- (non-alcoholic drink): chaser
Derived terms
- abackward
- ass backward
- have someone's back
Related terms
- bacon
Translations
Verb
back (third-person singular simple present backs, present participle backing, simple past and past participle backed)
- (intransitive) To go in the reverse direction.
- (transitive) To support.
- (nautical, of the wind) To change direction contrary to the normal pattern; that is, to shift anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, or clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
- (nautical, of a square sail) To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.
- (nautical, of an anchor) To lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power.
- (Britain, of a hunting dog) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.
- (transitive) To push or force backwards.
- (transitive, obsolete) To get upon the back of; to mount.
- (transitive, obsolete) To place or seat upon the back.
- To make a back for; to furnish with a back.
- To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.
- 1877, Thomas Henry Huxley, Physiography: An Introduction to the Study of Nature
- the chalk cliffs which back the beach
- So this was my future home, I thought! […] Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
- 1877, Thomas Henry Huxley, Physiography: An Introduction to the Study of Nature
- To write upon the back of, possibly as an endorsement.
- (law, of a justice of the peace) To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).
- To row backward with (oars).
Antonyms
- (nautical: of the wind): veer
Translations
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Borrowed from French bac.
Noun
back (plural backs)
- A large shallow vat; a cistern, tub, or trough, used by brewers, distillers, dyers, picklers, gluemakers, and others, for mixing or cooling wort, holding water, hot glue, etc.
- A ferryboat.
Translations
Czech
Alternative forms
- bek
Etymology
Borrowed from English back.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [?b?k]
- Rhymes: -?k
- Homophone: beg
Noun
back m anim
- (sports, obsolete) back
Declension
Synonyms
- obránce
- zadák
Antonyms
- úto?ník
- forward
Noun
back m inan
- (sports, rare) defense
Declension
Synonyms
- obrana
Antonyms
- útok
Further reading
- back in P?íru?ní slovník jazyka ?eského, 1935–1957
- back in Slovník spisovného jazyka ?eského, 1960–1971, 1989
French
Etymology
From English back
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bak/
- Homophone: bac
Adverb
back
- (Louisiana, Cajun French, Acadian) back
- Dis trois je vous salue Marie, et je veux point te voir icitte back à voler du plywood. — “Say three hail Maries, and I don't want to see you back here stealing plywood.”
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bak/
- Rhymes: -ak
Verb
back
- singular imperative of backen
- (colloquial) first-person singular present of backen
Middle English
Noun
back
- Alternative form of bak (“back”)
Swedish
Etymology
From English back
Pronunciation
Noun
back c
- crate; storage of bottles
- back; position behind most players on the team
- reverse; car gear
Declension
back From the web:
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bellows
English
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /?b?l.o?z/
- (US, dialectal) IPA(key): /?b?l.?s/
- (UK) IPA(key): /?b?l.??z/
- Rhymes: -?l??z
Etymology 1
From Middle English belwes, plural of belu, belwe, a northern form of beli, from Old English belg, cf. bæl?, from Proto-Germanic *balgiz. Compare German Balg. See also belly.
Noun
bellows (plural bellows)
- A device for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location. At its most simple terms a bellows is a container which is deformable in such a way as to alter its volume which has an outlet or outlets where one wishes to blow air.
- Any flexible container or enclosure, as one used to cover a moving joint.
- (informal or archaic) The lungs.
- (photography) Flexible, light-tight enclosures connecting the lensboard and the camera back.
- (figuratively) That which fans the fire of hatred, jealousy, etc.
Usage notes
- "Bellows" is used with both singular and plural verbs. One can even find "A bellows is/was".
Related terms
- bellowser
- belly
- blow
Translations
Verb
bellows (third-person singular simple present bellowses, present participle bellowsing, simple past and past participle bellowsed)
- (intransitive, transitive) To operate a bellows; to direct air at (something) using a bellows.
- 1861, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, Chapter ,[1]
- […] I was recommended to the place as a man who could give another man as good as he brought, and I took it. It’s easier than bellowsing and hammering.
- 1915, John G. Neihardt, The Song of Hugh Glass, New York: Macmillan, Part 2, p. 34,[2]
- So bellowsed, all the kindled soul of Hugh
- Became a still white hell of brooding ire,
- And through his veins regenerating fire
- Ran, driving out the lethargy of pain.
- 1920, Arthur Guiterman, “Thunder-Storm” in Ballads of Old New York, New York: Harper & Bros., p. 49,[3]
- The smiths of the heavens are mending the weather;
- Their hammers are beating the fragments together.
- The cumulus mountains with nebulous gorges
- Are dazzled with flame of the wind-bellowsed forges;
- 1966, Anthony Burgess, Tremor of Intent: An Eschatological Spy Novel, New York: Norton, Part 3, Chapter 6, p. 173,[4]
- He almost let the cigar go out. ‘Good God, no. We’re both exiles, aren’t we?’ He bellowsed the end red again and continued, delicate as a musician, his scoring.
- 1999, Ferdinand Mount, Jem (and Sam), New York: Carroll & Graf, Chapter 10, p. 397,[5]
- This is a capricious devil, the furnace, though I say it myself, and it wants regular bellowsing.
- 1861, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, Chapter ,[1]
- (intransitive, figuratively) To expand and contract like a bellows.
- 1904, A. R. Sennett, Across the Great Saint Bernard: The Modes of Nature and the Manners of Man, London: Bemrose & Sons, Chapter 6, p. 389,[6]
- […] [the dogs] sprang up, and, with a grand spraying of the crisp snow as they fleetly clambered up the steep side, they were with us in an incredibly short time, with pink tongues protruding, sides bellowsing, and sterns wagging.
- 1933, John Steinbeck, The Red Pony, New York: Viking, 1945, Chapter 1, p. 48,[7]
- The pony still lay on his side and the wound in his throat bellowsed in and out.
- 1978, Stephen King, The Stand, New York: Random House, 2012, Chapter 25, p. 196,[8]
- A sick-looking dog sat in the middle of the road, head down, sides bellowsing, white foam dripping from its muzzle to the heat-shimmering pavement.
- 1998, Loren D. Estleman, Jitterbug, New York: Tom Doherty Associates, Chapter Six, p. 53,[9]
- The old man laughed without making a sound. His chest bellowsed and he opened his mouth to display a horseshoe of gold molars.
- 1904, A. R. Sennett, Across the Great Saint Bernard: The Modes of Nature and the Manners of Man, London: Bemrose & Sons, Chapter 6, p. 389,[6]
- (transitive) To fold up like a bellows; to accordion.
- 1916, Roger Pocock, Horses, London: John Murray, 2nd edition, 1917, Chapter 6, pp. 170-171,[10]
- Without being tight […] the boot leg should fit close. The ankle should be supple as a stocking, and “bellowsed” to make sure of suppleness.
- 1986, Will D. Campbell, Forty Acres and a Goat, Atlanta: Peachtree, Chapter 9, p. 185,[11]
- […] the chairman of the gathered scholars […] [shushed] the black waiters preparing to feed us a hefty lunch behind the bellowsed dividing wall with the impatient yell, “You’re disturbing our meeting,” while we discussed their plight on our side of the wall.
- 1994, Timothy West, I’m Here I Think, Where Are You? Letters from a touring actor, London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1995, p. 139,[12]
- [The bus] rolled swiftly down the hill and bellowsed five parked cars […]
- 1916, Roger Pocock, Horses, London: John Murray, 2nd edition, 1917, Chapter 6, pp. 170-171,[10]
Etymology 2
See bellow
Noun
bellows
- plural of bellow
Verb
bellows
- Third-person singular simple present indicative form of bellow
Anagrams
- Boswell
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