adj
Meaning 1
Standby, reserve or extra.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- I am only a backup player.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
backup
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.
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/ˈbækˌʌp/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: B AE1 K AH2 P Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
That is intended as a backup.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
Examples
- Make a backup copy of that file.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Supporting, reinforcing; (music) of or related to accompaniment
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A reserve or substitute.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- If the goalkeeper is injured, we have a backup.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A copy of a file or record, stored separately from the original, that can be used to recover the original if it is damaged or destroyed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
Examples
- After the power failure, we had to restore the database from backup.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
An accumulation of material caused by a (partial) obstruction or (complete) blockage of the flow or movement of the material, or an accumulation of material that causes an overflow due to the flow being greater than the maximum possible flow.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- The accident caused a mile-long backup on the highway.
- The blockage caused a backup in the plumbing.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
Reinforcements.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: government, law-enforcement
Examples
- He's got a gun! You'd better send for backup.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
Any support or extra help.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
Accompaniment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
Corroboration.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 11
Alternative form of back up.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative, nonstandard
Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
the act of providing approval and support
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- his vigorous backing of the conservatives got him in trouble with progressives
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: backing, championship, patronage
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: blessing, approval, approving
noun
Meaning 13
(computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he made a backup in case the original was accidentally damaged or erased
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: computer backup
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: duplicate, duplication
noun
Meaning 14
a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: accompaniment, musical accompaniment, support
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: part, voice
Narrower terms: descant, discant, vamp
noun
Meaning 15
someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes
- we need extra employees for summer fill-ins
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: stand-in, substitute, relief, reliever, backup man, fill-in
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: peer, equal, match, compeer
Narrower terms: locum tenens, locum, double, stunt man, stunt woman, surrogate, alternate, replacement
noun
Meaning 16
an accumulation caused by clogging or a stoppage
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a traffic backup on the main street
- he discovered a backup in the toilet
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: accretion, accumulation
History
Etymology
Deverbal from back up.
Across languages
Translations
115 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Azerbaijani: ehtiyat — standby, reserve or extra
- Czech: záložní — standby, reserve or extra
- Dutch: reserve — standby, reserve or extra
- Finnish: vara- — standby, reserve or extra
- French: remplaçant — standby, reserve or extra
- German: Ersatz- — standby, reserve or extra
- German: Hilfs- — standby, reserve or extra
- Northern Kurdish: cîgir — standby, reserve or extra
- Portuguese: reserva — standby, reserve or extra
- Russian: резе́рвный (rezérvnyj) — standby, reserve or extra
- Russian: запасно́й (zapasnój) — standby, reserve or extra
- Spanish: de reserva — standby, reserve or extra
- Ukrainian: запасни́й (zapasnýj) — standby, reserve or extra
- Ukrainian: резе́рвний (rezérvnyj) — standby, reserve or extra
- Czech: záložní — intended as backup
- Dutch: reserve — intended as backup
- Finnish: vara- — intended as backup
- French: de sauvegarde — intended as backup
- Icelandic: öryggis- — intended as backup
- Northern Kurdish: yedek — intended as backup
- Portuguese: backup — intended as backup
- Czech: záloha — reserve
- Dutch: reserve — reserve
- Finnish: vara- — reserve
- French: remplaçant — reserve
- German: Unterstützung — reserve
- German: Deckung — reserve
- German: Ersatz — reserve
- Hebrew: גיבוי (gibui) — reserve
- Italian: riserva — reserve
- Italian: sostituto — reserve
- Japanese: 予備 (yobi) — reserve
- Japanese: 控え (hikae) — reserve
- Japanese: 補欠 (hoketsu) — reserve
- Northern Kurdish: yedek — reserve
- Persian: جاگزین — reserve
- Persian: جایگزین — reserve
- Polish: awaryjny — reserve
- Russian: резе́рв (rezérv) — reserve
- Russian: дублёр (dubljór) — reserve
- Spanish: respaldo — reserve
- Spanish: reserva — reserve
- Azerbaijani: ehtiyat nüsxə — copy of file or record
- Catalan: còpia de seguretat — copy of file or record
- Chinese Mandarin: 備份 /备份 (bèifèn) — copy of file or record
- Czech: záloha — copy of file or record
- Czech: zálohování — copy of file or record
- Danish: sikkerhedskopi — copy of file or record
- Dutch: back-up — copy of file or record
- Dutch: reservekopie — copy of file or record
- Esperanto: sekurkopio — copy of file or record
- Esperanto: rezervkopio — copy of file or record
- Esperanto: savkopio — copy of file or record
- Esperanto: vicrisurco — copy of file or record
- Esperanto: rezervo — copy of file or record
- Faroese: trygdarrit — copy of file or record
- Finnish: varmuuskopio — copy of file or record
- French: sauvegarde — copy of file or record
- Galician: copia de seguridade — copy of file or record
- Galician: copia de seguranza — copy of file or record
- Georgian: სარეზერვო ასლი (sarezervo asli) — copy of file or record
- Georgian: ბაკაპი (baḳaṗi) — copy of file or record
- Georgian: მარქაფი (markapi) — copy of file or record
- German: Datensicherung — copy of file or record
- German: Backup — copy of file or record
- German: Reservekopie — copy of file or record
- German: Sicherheitskopie — copy of file or record
- German: Sicherungskopie — copy of file or record
- Greek: αντίγραφο ασφαλείας (antígrafo asfaleías) — copy of file or record
- Hebrew: גיבוי (gibui) — copy of file or record
- Hungarian: adatmentés — copy of file or record
- Hungarian: biztonsági mentés — copy of file or record
- Icelandic: öryggisafrit — copy of file or record
- Icelandic: afrit — copy of file or record
- Indonesian: cadangan — copy of file or record
- Indonesian: pencadangan — copy of file or record
- Italian: backup — copy of file or record
- Italian: copia di riserva — copy of file or record
- Italian: copia di sicurezza — copy of file or record
- Japanese: バックアップ (bakkuappu) — copy of file or record
- Korean: 백업 (baegeop) — copy of file or record
- Northern Kurdish: paşnusxe — copy of file or record
- Macedonian: резервна копија (rezervna kopija) — copy of file or record
- Macedonian: сигурносна копија (sigurnosna kopija) — copy of file or record
- Malay: salinan sandaran — copy of file or record
- Malay: salinan keselamatan — copy of file or record
- Malay: penyandaran — copy of file or record
- Marathi: बॅकअप (bĕkap) — copy of file or record
- Norman: baqu'thie — copy of file or record
- Norwegian Bokmål: sikkerhetskopi — copy of file or record
- Norwegian Bokmål: reservekopi — copy of file or record
- Persian: پشتیبان (poštibân) — copy of file or record
- Polish: kopia zapasowa — copy of file or record
- Polish: kopia bezpieczeństwa — copy of file or record
- Polish: backup — copy of file or record
- Portuguese: backup — copy of file or record
- Portuguese: becape — copy of file or record
- Portuguese: cópia de segurança — copy of file or record
- Portuguese: cópia de reserva — copy of file or record
- Russian: резе́рвная ко́пия (rezérvnaja kópija) — copy of file or record
- Russian: бэка́п (bɛkáp) — copy of file or record
- Russian: резе́рвное копи́рование (rezérvnoje kopírovanije) — copy of file or record
- Serbo-Croatian: резервна копија — copy of file or record
- Serbo-Croatian: сигурносна копија — copy of file or record
- Serbo-Croatian: причувна копија — copy of file or record
- Serbo-Croatian: rezervna kopija — copy of file or record
- Serbo-Croatian: sigurnosna kopija — copy of file or record
- Serbo-Croatian: pričuvna kopija — copy of file or record
- Slovene: varnostna kopija — copy of file or record
- Slovene: rezervna kopija — copy of file or record
- Spanish: copia de seguridad — copy of file or record
- Spanish: copia de reserva — copy of file or record
- Spanish: copia de respaldo — copy of file or record
- Swedish: säkerhetskopia — copy of file or record
- Swedish: reservkopia — copy of file or record
Real reading context