backliner

noun

back·​lin·​er ˈbak-ˌlī-nər 

plural backliners

: a defensive player on a team's back line (as in ice hockey or soccer) : defenseman

David … has emerged as a reliable puck-moving backliner.

—Pierre McGuire, Sports Illustrated, 12 Apr. 1999

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

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