definitions

back scratcher

or back-scratch·er, back·scratch·er

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR back scratcher ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a long-handled device for scratching one's own back.
a person who exchanges favors or services for mutual advantage.

RELATED WORDS

groupie, lackey, slave, stooge, dependent, parasite, follower, puppet, flatterer, subordinate, toady, fan, hanger-on, flunky, doormat, bootlicker, adulator, politician, minion, groveler

Nearby words

back row, back run, back saw, back scatter, back score, back scratcher, back seat, back shaft, back shift, back slang, back staff

Origin of back scratcher

First recorded in 1785–95
Related formsback scratching, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for backscratcher

backscratcher

/ (ˈbækˌskrætʃə) /

noun

an implement with a long handle, used for scratching one's back
informal a person who provides a service, corporate or public money etc, for another, in order to receive a similar service or reward in return
Derived Formsbackscratching, noun
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