backspin

American

[bak-spin] / ˈbækˌspɪn /

noun

reverse rotation of a ball causing it to bounce or roll backward or stop short.

backspin British

/ ˈbækˌspɪn /

noun

sport a backward spinning motion imparted to a ball to reduce its speed at impact, as by hitting it with a downward or undercutting motion Compare topspin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of backspin

First recorded in 1905–10; back ² + spin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023