noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A check; a relapse; a discouragement; a setback.
2. 2
   Whatever is thrown back in its course, such as water.

   "Slackwater, or the backset caused by the overflow."

Verb

1. 1
   To plow again in the fall; said of prairie land broken up in the spring. US, Western, especially

Synonyms

All synonyms

atavismbackslidingcheckcomedowncultivateculture

Example

More examples

"Slackwater, or the backset caused by the overflow."

Etymology

From back + set.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.