| abeam |
at right angles to a line passing from the front to the back of a ship. |
| Achilles tendon |
the large tendon that connects the calf muscles to the back of the heel. |
| aftermost |
nearest the back or stern, as on a ship; farthest aft. |
| altazimuth |
a telescope or other instrument that moves in altitude (up and down) and in azimuth (back and forth). |
| alternate |
to move back and forth indefinitely between two or more conditions, places, or actions (usu. fol. by "between"). [1/9 definitions] |
| ana- |
back or backward. [1/4 definitions] |
| antimacassar |
a covering, usu. decorative, used on the back or arms of a chair or sofa to protect the upholstery. |
| arm wrestling |
a contest in which each of two opponents places either the right or the left elbow on a table with the forearm vertical, clasps the opponent's hand, and tries to force the opponent's hand back until it touches the table; Indian wrestling. |
| arytenoid |
of or pertaining to either of a pair of small cartilages at the back of the larynx to which the vocal chords are attached. [1/3 definitions] |
| ascent |
a movement back towards one's origins or up from one's origins. [1/4 definitions] |
| astern |
toward the back or rear of a boat or aircraft; backwards. [1/2 definitions] |
| backache |
a pain in the back, esp. a persistent one in the lower back. |
| backbone |
the series of bones that run along the center of the back; spinal column; vertebrae. [1/3 definitions] |
| backed |
having a back or support (often used in combination). |
| backhand |
a forward movement made with the back of the hand outward, as in a slap or a stroke with a tennis racket. [1/5 definitions] |
| backing |
anything that forms or is put on the back of something, esp. as a cover or support. [1/3 definitions] |
| backlog |
to hold back for future processing or completion. [1/3 definitions] |
| backpack |
a pack used to carry objects, esp. camping gear, on one's back; knapsack. [1/3 definitions] |
| backrest |
something against which one can rest one's back. |
| backspace |
to move a typewriter carriage or computer cursor back one or more spaces by pressing a certain key. [1/2 definitions] |
| backstroke |
a stroke made with the back of the hand outward, as in tennis. [2/3 definitions] |