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backfill

[ bak-fil ]

noun

  1. material used for refilling an excavation.


verb (used with object)

  1. to refill (an excavation).
  2. to make up for a loss or shortfall of supplies or funds:

    It is illegal to backfill the state budget with federal emergency funds.

  3. to fill (a recently vacated position), often with an internal candidate or temp.

backfill

/ ˈbækˌfɪl /

verb

  1. tr to refill an excavated trench, esp (in archaeology) at the end of an investigation


noun

  1. the soil used to do this

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Word History and Origins

Origin of backfill1

First recorded in 1950–55; back 2 + fill

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Example Sentences

They are also now zeroing in on the city’s plan to pursue a bond to backfill funds that had been reserved for infrastructure projects but were instead used to pay off the Ash lease.

The leaching behavior of arsenic depends on a lot of different factors, including the binder used in the backfill and the chemical content of the tailings.

There are still questions, though, about whether or not arsenic and heavy metals will stay put in the paste backfill material over the long term.

States were also given great discretion over how to spend the money, and many have since used it less to assist families than to backfill budget holes, in turn allowing them to maintain tax breaks for the wealthy.

Soak the roots after planting to eliminate air pockets and backfill with soil as needed.

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