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

Etymology

Origin of backbone

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

backbone backbones

It wasn’t accidental how the Appalachian Trail became my family’s backbone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026

Van der Meer called offshore oil production “the backbone of the international business” and predicted a sharp decline in fracking production within a decade.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Copper remains the backbone of Zambia's economy, generating around 70 percent of export earnings.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

It has enough backbone for the journey without requiring the determined chewing that makes lunch feel like a mandibular endurance event.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

Dimple was excellent at arguing with Mamma, but when it came to confrontations with other people, her backbone somehow became jellylike.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

This may seem counterintuitive, since vertebrates are literally defined by the fact that they have backbones.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 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

“If you look at the collection of companies that ultimately formed Lumen, the underlying technologies and backbones were never integrated,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

In the case of mammals, reptiles, and fish, it would be that they all have backbones.

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

Related Words

• foundation
• spine