noun · countable / uncountable · rare

backbone

backbone · backbones

хребет, спинка, корінець

хребет, позвоночник, основа, костяк

Rückgrat, Wirbelsäule

The series of vertebrae, separated by disks, that encloses and protects the spinal…The series of vertebrae, separated by disks, that encloses and protects the spinal cord, and runs down the middle of the back in vertebrate animals.

ⓘ

UK/ˈbækˌbəʊn/US/ˈbækˌboʊn/

» Tom has no backbone.

Тому не хватает смелости.

У Тома кишка тонка.

Том бесхребетный.

Том бесхарактерный.

Meaning

3 senses

(countable)The series of vertebrae, separated by disks, that encloses and protects the spinal cord, and runs down the middle of the back in vertebrate animals.
Rückgrat, Wirbelsäule
позвоно́чникpozvonóčnik, хребе́тxrebét
the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord
(countable, figuratively)Any fundamental support, structure, or infrastructure.
Before automobiles, railroads were a backbone of commerce.
Rückgrat
хребе́тxrebét, костя́кkostják, осно́ваosnóva
(figuratively, uncountable)Courage, fortitude, or strength.
He would make a good manager, if he had a little more backbone.
Rückgrat
сте́рженьstérženʹ
fortitude and determination

Examples

21 sentences

Tom has no backbone.
ruТому не хватает смелости.
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Invertebrates have no backbone or spinal column.
ruУ беспозвоночных нет позвоночника.
deWirbellose haben kein Rückgrat oder eine Wirbelsäule.
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Woman is the backbone of every society.
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Information is the backbone of modern life.
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Data integrity is the backbone of security.
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Translations

8 languages

Русский

By meaning 3

series of vertebrae that encloses the spinal cord:

any fundamental support, structure, or infrastructure:

courage, fortitude, or strength:

Deutsch

By meaning 1

series of vertebrae that encloses the spinal cord:

Origin

From Middle English bakbon, bakebon, bac-bon; equivalent to back + bone. Compare the seman

From Middle English bakbon, bakebon, bac-bon; equivalent to back + bone. Compare the semantically analogous English ridgebone.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: backbones

Singular	backbone
Plural	backbones

regular

back bonealternative

Synonyms

16 synonyms

spine spinal column vertebral column

Close in meaning

fortitude and determination:grit guts moxie sand gumption
the part of a book's cover that encloses the inner side of the book's pages and that faces outward when the book is shelved:spine
the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord:spinal column vertebral column spine back rachis
a central cohesive source of support and stability:anchor mainstay keystone linchpin lynchpin

Word family

Lessons for this word

1 lessons

A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable