adj
Meaning 1
That can be resorted to as a fallback.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
- a fallback plan
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
fallback
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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/ˈfɔːl.bæk/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: F AO1 L B AE2 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
An act of falling back.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- A failure of one of the rocket's first-stage engines just after liftoff would result in a destructive pad fallback.
- The black hole formed as a result of fallback of ejecta onto the neutron star initially created by the supernova explosion.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A backup plan or contingency strategy; an alternative which can be used if something goes wrong with the main plan; a recourse.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- As a fallback, I suppose we can use typewriters if the word processing system fails.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A reduction in bitumen softening point, sometimes called refluxing or overheating, in a relatively closed container.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: business, construction, manufacturing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Pulverised material that falls back to earth after a nuclear explosion; fallout.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
Misspelling of fall back.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, misspelling
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
to break off a military action with an enemy
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: disengagement, pullout
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: retreat
History
Etymology
From the verb fall back.
Across languages
Translations
20 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Esperanto: refalo — an act of falling back
- Finnish: vetäytyminen — an act of falling back
- Polish: upadek — an act of falling back
- Romanian: retragere — an act of falling back
- Chinese Mandarin: 遞補 /递补 (dìbǔ) — a backup plan
- Finnish: varasuunnitelma — a backup plan
- French: plan de repli — a backup plan
- French: solution de repli — a backup plan
- French: plan B — a backup plan
- German: Plan B — a backup plan
- Italian: ripiego — a backup plan
- Polish: plan awaryjny — a backup plan
- Polish: plan B — a backup plan
- Portuguese: plano alternativo — a backup plan
- Portuguese: plano B — a backup plan
- Portuguese: recurso — a backup plan
- Romanian: plan de rezervă — a backup plan
- Romanian: contingenţă — a backup plan
- Romanian: alternativă — a backup plan
- Spanish: plan B — a backup plan
Real reading context