English Explanatory Dictionary

backwater

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The water held back by a dam or other obstruction.
  2. A remote place: somewhere that remains unaffected by new events, progresses, ideas, etc; any field of endeavor that figuratively resembles such a place.
  3. A rowing stroke in which the oar is pushed forward to stop the boat; see back water
  4. Water used in the papermaking process. Recycled to reduce usage of fresh water, and usually containing residual amounts of chemicals and fibres.
verb
  1. To row or paddle a backwater stroke.
  2. To vacillate on a long-held position.
name
  1. A locality in the Armidale council area, north-eastern New South Wales, Australia.

Pronunciation

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-backwater.wav en-au-backwater.ogg

Word forms

backwater backwaters back water back-water backwatering backwatered

Etymology

From back + water.

Synonyms

jerkwater town one-horse town Podunk Isolated town bump in the road jerkwater jerk-water wide spot in the road Isolated place arse end of nowhere back of beyond back forty backcountry backwater backwoods beyond the black stump boondock boondocks boonies bumfuck middle of nowhere bumfuck nowhere dullsville edge of the earth edge of the world ends of the earth ends of the world hinterland middle of nowhere north forty off the beaten track out of the way sticks the sticks Actual places back o' Bourke Outer Mongolia Timbuktu Tuktoyaktuk Fictional places Anytown BFE Bumblefuck Bumfuck Egypt Idaho Iowa Kansas Minnesota Nowhere Ohio Buttfuck East Bumfuck East Jesus Hicksville Nowheresville Squedunk Whateverville wop-wops Woop Woop overflow

Derived words

backwaterish
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