backbone

noun

back·​bone ˈbak-ˈbōn 

-ˌbōn

1

: spinal column, spine

2

: something that resembles a backbone: such as

a

: a chief mountain ridge, range, or system

b

: the foundation or most substantial or sturdiest part of something

c

: the longest chain of atoms or groups of atoms in a usually long molecule (such as a polymer or protein)

d

: the primary high-speed hardware and transmission lines of a telecommunications network (such as the Internet)

3

: firm and resolute character

4

: spine sense 1c

backboned

ˈbak-ˌbōnd 

adjective

Synonyms

• chine
• spinal column
• spine
• vertebral column

Examples of backbone in a Sentence

She is the backbone of the family.

He showed some backbone by refusing to compromise his values.

Recent Examples on the Web

And Threatens To Takeover Panama Canal • Microservices architecture • Containerized deployment and orchestration • CI/CD • Observability Cloud-native products and services were the backbone that enabled the transformation. —Rajesh Rajagopalan, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024

Chelsea showed just enough determination and backbone to be denied two points rather than three at one of their least favourite away grounds, but counterpart Sean Dyche’s defensive game plan also exposed some of the more exploitable aspects of Maresca’s approach. —Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024

The backbone of this unexpected balance of peaks and valleys of the film would stem from Corbet and composer Daniel Blumberg‘s years of work prior to production on the film’s score. —Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2024

What Is Pork Tenderloin? Pork tenderloin is a smaller, leaner cut of meat that comes from the muscle running along the backbone of the pig. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 22 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

backbone

noun

back·​bone -ˈbōn 

-ˌbōn

1

: the skeleton of the trunk and tail of a vertebrate that consists of a jointed series of vertebrae enclosing and protecting the spinal cord

called also spinal column

2

: the foundation or sturdiest part of something

3

: firmness of character

a coward with no backbone

backboned

-ˈbōnd 

-ˌbōnd

adjective

Medical Definition

backbone

noun

back·​bone -ˈbōn, -ˌbōn 

1

: spinal column, spine

2

: the longest chain of atoms or groups of atoms in a usually long molecule (as a polymer or protein)