back number

American  

noun

1. an out-of-date issue of a serial publication.

2. Informal. anything out-of-date.

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back number British  

noun

1. an issue of a newspaper, magazine, etc, that appeared on a previous date

2. informal a person or thing considered to be old-fashioned

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back number Idioms  

1. Dated, out of style. For example, That hat is really a back number, or The game has changed so fast that a player who returns to the circuit after several years' absence usually finds he or she is a back number. This term originally referred to back issues of periodicals, which are no longer newsworthy. [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of back number

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

back number

The Force did hit back, number eight Richard Brown creeping over after a quick pick-and-go from captain Matt Hodgson.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2013

The fact that GM is back, number one, I think shows the kind of turnaround that’s possible when it comes to American manufacturing.”

From BusinessWeek ● Feb. 2, 2012

“The adults are being sent back, number one.”

From Washington Post

Since then back has been firmly imbedded as an adjective in such U. S. phrases as back taxes, back pay, back number, back talk, backhouse.

From Time Magazine Archive

When a man begins shaking his head over the news of the day, he is done for; a back number.

From The Book of Susan A Novel by Dodd, Lee Wilson

Related Words

• age-old
• antique
• archaic
• hoary
• old-fashioned
• timeworn
• venerable