backbone

American  

[bak-bohn] / ˈbækˌboʊn /

noun

• backbones
  plural

1. Anatomy. the spinal column; spine.

2. strength of character; resolution.

   Synonyms:

   fortitude, decision, firmness

3. something resembling a backbone in appearance, position, or function.

4. Bookbinding. a back or bound edge of a book; spine.

5. Nautical. a rope running along the middle of an awning, as a reinforcement and as an object to which a supporting bridle or crowfoot may be attached.

6. Naval Architecture. the central fore-and-aft assembly of the keel and keelson, giving longitudinal strength to the bottom of a vessel.

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backbone British  

/ ˈbækˌbəʊn /

noun

1. a nontechnical name for spinal column

2. something that resembles the spinal column in function, position, or appearance

3. strength of character; courage

4. the main or central mountain range of a country or region

5. nautical the main longitudinal members of a vessel, giving structural strength

6. computing (in computer networks) a large-capacity, high-speed central section by which other network segments are connected

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backbone Scientific  

/ băk′bōn′ /

1. See vertebral column

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backbone Cultural  

1. The primary line(s) that connects the slower, shorter cable portions of a communications network together. (See last mile.) In larger networks, such as the Internet, a backbone consists of high-capacity, high-speed lines that can extend over great distances.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• backboned
  adjective
• backboneless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• backbones
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of backbone

1250–1300; Middle English bacbon. See back ¹, bone ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

backbone backbones

Brian Flores has the Vikings playing unlike any other defense in the league—and the strategy is the backbone of the sport’s last undefeated team.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

It is "a backbone of the web", according to security firm Wiz Research, which says it used AI to find vulnerabilities hidden in PHP for more than a decade.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

The researchers examined 27 fossilized vertebrae, the individual bones that make up a snake's backbone.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

"Yes! My God, I have a backbone," she says.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

A second problem arose with fitting the bases inside the helix: the precise measurement of the outer backbone became crucial.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

The chart shows strongly performing security and infrastructure, which provides “critical data backbones, compute pipelines and complex protection systems that generative models actively expand rather than displace.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

For decades, palaeontologists believed that the largest ocean predators were vertebrates with backbones such as fish and reptiles while invertebrates like octopuses and squid played supporting roles.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

Sea squirts are invertebrates, making them useful for identifying differences between animals without backbones and those with them.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 4, 2026

Animals without a backbones evolved first, around 700 million years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

Their anger had their bristles standing in high fierce ridges along their backbones.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson

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Related Words

• foundation
• spine

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