Backword
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A contention, retort, or reply.
- 2 A contradiction or answer to put off an engagement; a countermand.
"Richard has compounded with some Italians to paint a mural of his triumph [...] The time may come when the scene is bitter in his eyes, but he should paint it anyway. He should not give backword to the Italians — it is how they get their living."
- 3 A section of commentary at the end of a book.
Example
More examples"Richard has compounded with some Italians to paint a mural of his triumph [...] The time may come when the scene is bitter in his eyes, but he should paint it anyway. He should not give backword to the Italians — it is how they get their living."
Etymology
From back + word.
More for "backword"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.