Back vs Bum - What's the difference?

back | bum |

In obsolete terms the difference between back and bum

is that back is that part of the body that bears clothing while bum is a bumbailiff.

In intransitive terms the difference between back and bum

is that back is to go in the reverse direction while bum is to make a murmuring or humming sound.

As an adverb back

is to or in a previous condition or place.

As an interjection bum is

an expression of annoyance.

back

English

(wikipedia back)

Etymology 1

(etyl) bak, from (etyl) 'bending'. The adverb represents an aphetic form of (aback).

Adjective

(en adjective)

(not comparable) Near the rear.

* , chapter=19

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.}}

(not comparable) Not current.

(not comparable) Far from the main area.

In arrear; overdue.

back rent

Moving or operating backward.

back action

(comparable, phonetics) Produced in the back of the mouth.

Synonyms

* (near the rear) rear * (not current) former, previous * (far from the main area) remote

Antonyms

* (near the rear) front * (not current) current * (far from the main area) main

Adverb

(further)

(not comparable) To or in a previous condition or place.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=2 , passage=We drove back to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case. Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.}}

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-08, volume=407, issue=8839, page=52, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= The new masters and commanders , passage=From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.}}

Away from the front or from an edge.

* , chapter=1

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path […]. It twisted and turned,

In a manner that impedes.

In a reciprocal manner.

Noun

(en noun)

The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.

*:It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.

#The spine and associated tissues.

# Large and attractive buttocks.

#*{{quote-book, 2002, (George Pelecanos), title= Right as Rain: A Novel, isbn=0446610798, page=123

, passage= He got his hand on her behind and caressed her firm, ample flesh.

#(lb) The part of a piece of clothing which covers the back.

#The backrest, the part of a piece of furniture which receives the human back.

#(lb) That part of the body that bears clothing.

#*{{quote-book, 1604, (William Shakespeare),

, passage=Do thou but think / What 'tis to cram a maw or clothe a back / From such a filthy vice}}

That which is farthest away from the front.

#The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side.

##The edge of a book which is bound.

##:

##(lb) The inside margin of a page.

##*, page=472, edition=1965 Ayer Publishing ed., title= A Dictionary of the Art of Printing, isbn=0833731289

, passage=Convenience and custom have familiarised us to the printed page being a little higher than the middle of the leaf, and to its having a little more margin at the fore edge than in the back .}}

##The side of a blade opposite the side used for cutting.

##:

#The reverse side; the side that is not normally seen.

#Area behind, such as the backyard of a house.

#The part of something that goes last.

#(lb) In some team sports, a position behind most players on the team.

#*{{quote-news, year=2010, date=December 28, author=Kevin Darlin, work=BBC

, title= West Brom 1-3 Blackburn , passage=

(lb) Upper part of a natural object which is considered to resemble an animal's back.

A support or resource in reserve.

*(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)

*:This project / Should have a back or second, that might hold, / If this should blast in proof.

(lb) The keel and keelson of a ship.

(lb) The roof of a horizontal underground passage.

*{{quote-book, 1911, Robert Bruce Brinsmade, title= Mining Without Timber, page=161

, passage=The stope is kept full of broken ore, sufficient only being drawn to leave a working space between the floor of broken ore and the back of the stope.}}

Effort, usually physical.

A non-alcoholic drink (often water or a soft drink), to go with hard liquor or a cocktail.

Among leather dealers, one of the thickest and stoutest tanned hides.

*1848 , Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Maine Reports (volume 6, page 397)

*:.

Synonyms

* (side opposite the visible side) reverse * (rear of the body) rear, backside

Antonyms

* (side opposite the front or useful side) front * (that which is farthest away from the front) front

Coordinate terms

* (non-alcoholic drink)

Derived terms

* (non-alcoholic drink)

Verb

(en verb)

To go in the reverse direction.

* , chapter=1

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage=Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’

To support.

* {{quote-news, year=2012, date=June 9, author=Owen Phillips, work=BBC Sport

, title= Euro 2012: Netherlands 0-1 Denmark , passage=And Netherlands, backed by a typically noisy and colourful travelling support, started the second period in blistering fashion and could have had four goals within 10 minutes}}

(nautical, of the wind) To change direction contrary to the normal pattern; that is, to shift anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, or clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

(nautical, of a square sail) To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.

(nautical, of an anchor) To lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power.

(UK, of a hunting dog) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.

To push or force backwards.

to back oxen

(obsolete) To get upon the back of; to mount.

* (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)

I will back him [a horse] straight.

(obsolete) To place or seat upon the back.

* (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)

Great Jupiter, upon his eagle backed , / Appeared to me.

To make a back for; to furnish with a back.

to back books

To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.

* (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)

a gardenwith a vineyard backed

* (Thomas Henry Huxley) (1825-1895)

the chalk cliffs which back the beach

*:So this was my future home, I thought!Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.

To write upon the back of, possibly as an endorsement.

to back''' a letter; to '''back a note or legal document

(legal, of a justice of the peace) To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).

To row backward with (oars).

to back the oars

Antonyms

* veer

Derived terms

* answer back * backache * back and forth * back away * backbeat, back beat * back-bench, backbench * back-bencher, backbencher * back benches, back-benches, backbenches * backbite * backbiter * backbiting * back-blocks * back boiler * backbone * backbreaker * backbreaking, back-breaking * back burner * backchat * back-cloth * backcomb, back-comb * back cover * back-crawl * backdate, back-date * back door * back down * back-draught * backdrop * back end * backer * backfill * backfire * back-formation * backgammon * back garden * background * backhand * backhanded, back-handed * backhander, back-hander * backing * back into * back issue * back kitchen * backlash * back-light * back-lighting * backlist * backlog * backlot * backmost * backness * back number, back-number * back of beyond * back off * back office * back of house * back of one's hand * back on to * back out * backpack, back-pack * back page * back pass * back passage * backpay, back pay * back payment * back-pedal * back-projection * backrest * back road * backroom * back row * backscatter * backscratcher * backscratching * back scrubber * back-seat driver * backshift * back-shop * backside * back sight * back-slang * backslapping, back-slapping * backslash * backslide * backsliding * backspace * backspin * back-stabbing * backstage * backstair, backstairs * backstay * backstitch * backstop * back straight * back street * back-stroke, backstroke * backswing * back to back, back-to-back * back to basics * back to front * back to nature * backtrack * back up * backup, back-up * back vowel * backward * backwards * backwash * backwater * backwoods * back yard * bad back * barback * bareback * be glad to see the back of * behind someone's back * break the back of * call back * cashback * get back at * get off someone's back * get someone's back up * give back * go behind someone's back * go to hell and back * have back * have one's back to the wall * hogback, Hog's Back * hollow back * horseback * hunchback * in back of * know like the back of one's hand * left back * look like the back end of a bus * offensive back * off the back foot * pat on the back * phone back * put on the back burner * put one's back into * put someone's back up * redback * right back * ring back * rod for one's back * running back * saddle back * set back * setback * shagger's back * stab in the back * stand back * swayback * take a back seat * there and back

Etymology 2

(etyl) bac.

Noun

(en noun)

A large shallow vat; a cistern, tub, or trough, used by brewers, distillers, dyers, picklers, gluemakers, and others, for mixing or cooling wort, holding water, hot glue, etc.

A ferryboat.

Statistics

* English ergative verbs 1000 English basic words ----

bum

English

Etymology 1

1387,

Noun

(en noun)

The buttocks.

Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.

(UK, Irish, AU, New Zealand, informal, rare, Canada, US) The anus.

(by metonymy, informal) A person.

Quotations

* (English Citations of "bum")

Usage notes

* In the United States and Canada, bum'' is considered the most appropriate term when speaking to young children, as in ''Everyone please sit on your bum and we'll read a story.'' For older children and teenagers, especially males, as well as adults, the term (butt) is the most common term except in professional contexts such as medical, legal, and scientific where (buttocks) is generally used or (gluteus maximus), (gluteus medius), etc. for the muscles specifically. ''Glutes]]'' is often used in sports medicine and bodybuilding. ''Ass'' (US derivation of Old English ''[[arse, arse ) is considered somewhat vulgar in North America, whereas (backside), (behind), and (bottom) are considered to be old-fashioned and non-specific terms.

Synonyms

* (buttocks or anus) arse , ass (North America), backside, behind, bottom, bum (North America), butt (North America), heinie (North America), fanny (North America), tush (North America), tushie (North America) ** (buttocks specifically) butt cheeks (North America), buttocks (technical), cheeks, glutes (muscles), gluteus maximus (primary muscles) ** (anus specifically) anus (technical), arsehole , asshole (North America) * See also

Verb

(bumm)

(UK, transitive, colloquial) To sodomize; to engage in anal sex.

Interjection

(en-interjection)

(label) An expression of annoyance.

* 2010 , Jill Mansell, Sheer Mischief:

Maxine tried hers. 'Oh bum ,' she said crossly. 'The sugar isn't sugar. It's salt.'

Derived terms

* bum bum * bumhole * bums in seats *

Etymology 2

1864,

Noun

(en noun)

(North America, colloquial) A hobo; a homeless person, usually a man.

(North America, Australia, colloquial) A lazy, incompetent, or annoying person, usually a man.

''Fred is becoming a bum - he's not even bothering to work more than once a month.

That mechanic's a bum - he couldn't fix a yo-yo.

That guy keeps interrupting the concert. Throw the bum out!

* 1987 , (The Pogues) - (Fairytale of New York)

You're a bum

You're a punk

You're an old slut on junk

Lying there almost dead on a drip in that bed

(North America, Australia, colloquial, sports) A player or racer who often performs poorly.

Trade him to another team, he's a bum !

* 2001 , (Laura Hillenbrand) -

Seabiscuit, wrote another reporter, “was a hero in California and a pretty fair sort of horse in the midwest. In the east, however, he was just a ‘bum ’”

(colloquial) A drinking spree.

Synonyms

* (hobo) hobo, homeless person, tramp, vagrant, wanderer, vagabond * (lazy person) loafer, bumpkin, footler, idler, lout, yob, yobbo, layabout * (drinking spree) binge, bender * See also * See also

Verb

(bumm)

(colloquial) To ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something.

Can I bum a cigarette off you?

(colloquial) To behave like a hobo or vagabond; to loiter.

I think I'll just bum around downtown for awhile until dinner.

(transitive, slang, British) To wet the end of a marijuana cigarette (spliff).

Synonyms

* cadge (British)

Adjective

(bummer)

Of poor quality or highly undesirable.

bum note

Unfair.

bum deal

Injured and without the possibility of full repair, defective.

I can't play football anymore on account of my bum knee.

Unpleasant.

He had a bum trip on that mescaline.

Quotations

* (English Citations of "bum")

Synonyms

* (defective) duff (UK)

Derived terms

* bum around * bum bailiff * bum rap * bum's rush * on the bum

Etymology 3

Verb

(bumm)

To depress; to make unhappy.

References

Etymology 4

See boom.

Noun

(en noun)

(dated) A humming noise.

(Halliwell)

Verb

(bumm)

To make a murmuring or humming sound.

(Jamieson)

Etymology 5

Abbreviations.

Noun

(en noun)

(obsolete) A bumbailiff.

* 1705 , (Bernard Mandeville), The Fable of the Bees :

About her Chariot, and behind, / Were Sergeants, Bums of every kind, / Tip-staffs, and all those Officers, / That squeeze a Living out of Tears.

Anagrams

* English words with different meanings in different locations ----