swayback

[ swey-bak ]

/ ˈsweɪˌbæk /

Veterinary Pathology

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noun

an excessive downward curvature of the spinal column in the dorsal region, especially of horses.

adjective

swaybacked.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of swayback

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70; sway + back¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use swayback in a sentence

He was flushed, his eye watered and sparkled, and before he sat down I observed him to sway back and forth.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 11 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson
The wheat, oats, and barley are very pretty as they sway back and forth in the wind.
Stories of Great Musicians|Kathrine Lois Scobey
To his distorted vision it appeared to sway back and forth, up and down, yet it had scarcely begun to move.
Woven with the Ship|Cyrus Townsend Brady
He saw the long hair sway back and forth as he shook the love-smitten man.
The Cottage of Delight|Will N. Harben

Some woodworkers give their saws a slight camber, or belly, to correspond with the sway-back.
Farm Mechanics|Herbert A. Shearer

British Dictionary definitions for swayback

sway-back

noun

vet science an abnormal sagging or concavity of the spine in older horses

a paralytic disease of new-born and young lambs caused by demyelination of the central nervous system due to copper deficiency

Derived forms of sway-back

sway-backed, adjective

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