back matter

American  

noun

Printing.

1. the parts of a book that appear after the main text, as bibliography, index, and appendixes.

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back matter British  

noun

1. Also called: end matter.  the parts of a book, such as the index and appendices, that follow the main text

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Etymology

Origin of back matter

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

back matter

I am glad that all three of these books focus on the artists’ childhoods — real or imagined — and wisely steer clear of their adult lives, except for some information in the back matter.

From New York Times ● Nov. 12, 2021

This is where you can add appendices or other back matter.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020

Pedagogical back matter is explicitly aimed at young readers but those of any age may find the sequence of events moving.

From New York Times ● Dec. 17, 2019

There, from the safety of the back matter, Eisinger writes:

From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2017

Spaced dashes used in some back matter for better wrapping of text.

From Bert Wilson at the Wheel by Duffield, J. W.