Standard Lemma guide

backrest

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈbækˌɹɛst/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B AE1 K R EH2 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The back piece of a chair, used to support the sitter's back.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: back

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A guide attached to the slide rest of a lathe, and placed in contact with the work to steady it in turning.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a support that you can lean against while sitting

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the back of the dental chair was adjustable

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: back

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: support

Narrower terms: cantle, ladder-back

History

Etymology

Compound of back + rest.

Across languages

Translations

40 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: respatller — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Chinese Mandarin: 靠背 (kàobèi) — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Czech: opěradlo — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Czech: opěrka — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Danish: ryglæn — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Danish: rygstød — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Danish: rygstøtte — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Dutch: rugleuning — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Finnish: selkänoja — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • French: dossier — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • German: Rückenlehne — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Hebrew: מִסְעָד (mis'ád) — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Hungarian: háttámla — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Icelandic: bak — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Icelandic: bakstoð — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Icelandic: bakfjöl — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Italian: schienale — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Japanese: 背もたれ (semotare) — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Latvian: atzveltne — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ryggstø — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ryggstø — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Persian: پشتی (pošti) — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Plautdietsch: Rigjlän — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Portuguese: espaldar — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Portuguese: encosto — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Romanian: spătar — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Russian: спи́нка (spínka) — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Serbo-Croatian: наслон — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Slovak: operadlo — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Slovak: opierka — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Spanish: respaldo — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Spanish: espaldar — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Spanish: respaldar — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Swedish: ryggstöd — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Turkish: arkalık — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Ottoman Turkish: آرقهلق (arkalık) — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Ukrainian: спи́нка (spýnka) — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Zazaki: phastek — back piece of a chair — see also back
  • Chinese Mandarin: 導板 /导板 (dǎobǎn) — guide attached to the slide rest of a lathe
  • Finnish: välituki — guide attached to the slide rest of a lathe