back·bone

[bak-bohn]
noun
1.
Anatomy. the spinal column; spine.
2.
strength of character; resolution.
3.
something resembling a backbone in appearance, position, or function.
4.
Bookbinding. a back or bound edge of a book; spine.
5.
Nautical. a rope running along the middle of an awning, as a reinforcement and as an object to which a supporting bridle or crowfoot may be attached.
6.
Naval Architecture. the central fore-and-aft assembly of the keel and keelson, giving longitudinal strength to the bottom of a vessel.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English bacbon. See back1, bone1

Related forms
back·boned, adjective
back·bone·less, adjective

Synonyms
2. firmness, decision, fortitude.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To backbone
00:10
Backbone is always a great word to know.
So is diaphragm. Does it mean:
a muscular, membranous or ligamentous wall separating the thoracic or chest cavity from the abdominal cavity in mammals
a series of paired nerves that originate in the spinal cord and emerge, branching out to the region of the neck, trunk, or limbs
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Collins
World English Dictionary
backbone (ˈbækˌbəʊn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  a nontechnical name for spinal column
2.  something that resembles the spinal column in function, position, or appearance
3.  strength of character; courage
4.  the main or central mountain range of a country or region
5.  nautical the main longitudinal members of a vessel, giving structural strength
6.  computing (in computer networks) a large-capacity, high-speed central section by which other network segments are connected

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

backbone
"spine," c.1300, from back (n.) + bone. Fig. sense of "strength of character" is attested from 1843.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

backbone back·bone (bāk'bōn')
n.
See spinal column.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
backbone   (bāk'bōn')  Pronunciation Key 
See vertebral column.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

backbone definition


The primary line(s) that connects the slower, shorter cable portions of a communications network together. (See last mile.) In larger networks, such as the Internet, a backbone consists of high-capacity, high-speed lines that can extend over great distances.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

backbone definition


  1. n.
    courage; integrity. (Colloquial.) : If you had any backbone, you would be able to deal with this.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

backbone definition

networking
The top level in a hierarchical network. Stub networks and transit networks which connect to the same backbone are guaranteed to be interconnected.
See also: Internet backbone.
(1998-07-02)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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Example sentences
The external tank is actually the backbone of the whole shuttle system.
He was the emotional backbone of our team that year.
Because constant growth is the backbone of evolution.
Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector,
  with canned tuna the primary export.
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