Backing n. 1.The act of moving backward, or of putting or moving anything backward.
2.That which is behind, and forms the back of, anything, usually giving strength or stability.
3.Support or aid given to a person or cause.
4.(Bookbinding) The preparation of the back of a book with glue, etc., before putting on the cover.
Back v. t. (past & past part. backed; pres. part. backing) 1.To get upon the back of; to mount. "I will back him (a horse) straight."
2.To place or seat upon the back. (R.) "Great Jupiter, upon his eagle backed, Appeared to me."
3.To drive or force backward; to cause to retreat or recede; as, to back oxen.
4.To make a back for; to furnish with a back; as, to back books.
5.To adjoin behind; to be at the back of. "A garden... with a vineyard backed." "The chalk cliffs which back the beach."
6.To write upon the back of; as, to back a letter; to indorse; as, to back a note or legal document.
7.To support; to maintain; to second or strengthen by aid or influence; as, to back a friend. "The Parliament would be backed by the people." "Have still found it necessary to back and fortify their laws with rewards and punishments." "The mate backed the captain manfully."
8.To bet on the success of; as, to back a race horse.
To back an anchor (Naut.), to lay down a small anchor ahead of a large one, the cable of the small one being fastened to the crown of the large one.
To back the field, in horse racing, to bet against a particular horse or horses, that some one of all the other horses, collectively designated "the field", will win.
To back the oars, to row backward with the oars.
To back a rope, to put on a preventer.
To back the sails, to arrange them so as to cause the ship to move astern.
To back up, to support; to sustain; as, to back up one's friends.
To back a warrant (Law), is for a justice of the peace, in the county where the warrant is to be executed, to sign or indorse a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender.
To back water (Naut.), to reverse the action of the oars, paddles, or propeller, so as to force the boat or ship backward.
Back v. i. 1.To move or go backward; as, the horse refuses to back.
2.(Naut.) To change from one quarter to another by a course opposite to that of the sun; used of the wind.
3.(Sporting) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed; said of a dog. (Eng.)
To back and fill, to manage the sails of a ship so that the wind strikes them alternately in front and behind, in order to keep the ship in the middle of a river or channel while the current or tide carries the vessel against the wind. Hence: (Fig.) To take opposite positions alternately; to assert and deny. (Colloq.)
To back out, To back down, to retreat or withdraw from a promise, engagement, or contest; to recede. (Colloq.) "Cleon at first... was willing to go; but, finding that he (Nicias) was in earnest, he tried to back out."
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