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 an out-of-date issue of a serial publication.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 anything out-of-date.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

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

They thought of the year 1928; remembered that William Gibbs McAdoo was a back number in presidential politics that Governor "Al" Smith was waning in the West.

From Time Magazine Archive

Letter of October 8, 1916 Yesterday you read of Number 30, but even that is a back number.

From An Aviator's Field Book Being the field reports of Oswald Bölcke, from August 1, 1914 to October 28, 1916 by Boelcke, Oswald

Related Words

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