backbone
Anatomy. the spinal column; spine.
strength of character; resolution.
something resembling a backbone in appearance, position, or function.
Bookbinding. a back or bound edge of a book; spine.
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.
Naval Architecture. the central fore-and-aft assembly of the keel and keelson, giving longitudinal strength to the bottom of a vessel.
Origin of backbone
1Other words for backbone
Other words from backbone
- backboned, adjective
- backboneless, adjective
Words Nearby backbone
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use backbone in a sentence
Small and midsize businesses make up the backbone of our economy.
How we can save small business from coronavirus-induced extinction | matthewheimer | September 10, 2020 | FortuneThough new coins and privacy technologies have been emerging for years, Bitcoin and its public ledger remain “the backbone of the cryptocurrency economy,” says Janczewski.
North Korean hackers steal billions in cryptocurrency. How do they turn it into real cash? | Patrick O'Neill | September 10, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewItaly’s luxury sector is dominated by world-renowned brands from Gucci to Valentino and Versace, but it is tens of thousands of small family businesses that form the backbone of the country’s $93 billion fashion and leather industry.
The state and federal government cannot continue to leave behind the essential workers and taxpayers that serve as the backbone of our economy.
Sacramento Report: Ethnic Studies Dispute Pits CSU Against Lawmakers | Sara Libby and Maya Srikrishnan | July 24, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoThe tech giants’ fingerprints, brain power and dollars are all over the invisible backbone of the global internet.
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through July 11) | Singularity Hub Staff | July 11, 2020 | Singularity Hub
Instead, straighten your civic backbone and push back in clear conscience.
She had been, he says, the backbone of their family and losing her shifted their entire emotional landscape.
Everyone at This Dinner Party Has Lost Someone | Samantha Levine | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTShe refused to participate in political bribery, which is the unspoken prerequisite backbone of this world.
‘Housewife Tycoon’ Took On ‘Mad Men’ NYC Real Estate Market and Won | Vicky Ward | October 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWith a backbone of steel, she matched her husband in intelligence, perseverance, and strength of spirit.
‘The Harness Maker’s Dream:’ The Unlikely Ranch King of Texas | Nick Kotz | September 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThat timeline can serve as the backbone for the story our data tells.
The Best Quantified Self Site You Haven’t Heard Of | Jamie Todd Rubin | August 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIts backbone should be the study of biology and its substance should be the threshing out of the burning questions of our day.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) WellsHe was Gascon to the backbone, and his tongue too often betrayed his most secret and his most transient thoughts.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-PattisonI kept a stiff backbone for a while, but presently a futile rage against circumstances bubbled up and boiled over.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairIsabel deigned no reply, and he took possession of a deep chair, settled himself on his backbone, and regarded her attentively.
Ancestors | Gertrude AthertonEducation, the "backbone" of cultural activities, is one of the most challenging current problems facing Virginia.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia | Dorothy M. Torpey
British Dictionary definitions for backbone
/ (ˈbækˌbəʊn) /
a nontechnical name for spinal column
something that resembles the spinal column in function, position, or appearance
strength of character; courage
the main or central mountain range of a country or region
nautical the main longitudinal members of a vessel, giving structural strength
computing (in computer networks) a large-capacity, high-speed central section by which other network segments are connected
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for backbone
[ băk′bōn′ ]
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for backbone
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse