Nickelback
//ˈnɪkəlbæk// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A fifth defensive back (in addition to two cornerbacks and two safeties) who is deployed for additional pass coverage.
- 2 Alternative form of Nickelback. alt-of, alternative
- 3 A peptide with a nitrogen backbone containing two nickel atoms and having 13 amino acids.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Blend of nickel + cornerback. Modelled on quarterback: both the quarter (“25 cents”) and the nickel (“5 cents”) are American coins, though quarterback was not named for the coin. Coined due to the nickelback's role as the fifth defensive back on the field, thus the connection to the 5-cent nickel.
Etymology 2
From nickel + back.
Etymology 3
From nickel + back. From having nickel atoms on the backbone structure.
Related phrases
More for "nickelback"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.