Back vs Up - What's the difference?

back | up |

As a noun back

is a small stream or brook.

As a verb up is

to upturn, to turn over.

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 ----

up

English

(part of speech is dubious for many senses) (wikipedia up)

Adverb

(-)

Away from the centre of the Earth or other planet; in opposite direction to the downward pull of gravity.

I looked up and saw the airplane overhead.

(intensifier) (Used as an aspect marker to indicate a completed action or state) Thoroughly, completely.

I will mix up the puzzle pieces.

Tear up the contract.

He really messed up .

Please type up our monthly report.

To or from one's possession or consideration.

I picked up some milk on the way home.

The committee will take up your request.

She had to give up her driver's license after the accident.

North.

I will go up to New York to visit my family this weekend.

To a higher level of some quantity or notional quantity, such as price, volume, pitch, happiness, etc.

Gold has gone up with the uncertainty in the world markets.

Turn it up , I can barely hear it.

Listen to your voice go up at the end of a question.

Cheer up , the weekend's almost here.

(rail transport) Traditional term for the direction leading to the principal terminus, towards milepost zero.

(sailing) Against the wind or current.

(Cartesian graph) In a positive vertical direction.

(cricket) Relatively close to the batsman.

The bowler pitched the ball up .

(hospitality) Without additional ice.

Would you like that drink up or on ice?

(UK, academia) Towards Cambridge or Oxford.

She's going up to read Classics this September.

* 1867 , John Timbs, Lives of wits and humourists , p. 125

The son of the Dean of Lichfield was only three years older than Steele, who was a lad of only twelve, when at the age of fifteen, Addison went up to Oxford.

* 1998 , Rita McWilliams Tullberg, Women at Cambridge , p. 112

Others insinuated that women 'crowded up to Cambridge', not for the benefits of a higher education, but because of the proximity of 2,000 young men.

* 2002 , Peter Harman, Cambridge Scientific Minds , p. 79

A precocious mathematician, Babbage was already well versed in the Continental mathematical notations when he went up to Cambridge.

To or in a position of equal advance or equality; not short of, back of, less advanced than, away from, etc.; usually followed by to'' or ''with .

I was up to my chin in water.

A stranger came up and asked me for directions.

To or in a state of completion; completely; wholly; quite.

Drink up . The pub is closing.

Can you sum up your research?

The comet burned up in the atmosphere.

I need to sew up the hole in this shirt.

Aside, so as not to be in use.

to lay up''' riches; put '''up your weapons

Antonyms

* (away from the centre of the Earth) down * (louder) down * (higher in pitch) down * (towards the principal terminus) down

Derived terms

* all it's cracked up to be * back up * backup * bottoms up * bottom-up * blow up * break up * buck up * build up * burn up * clog up * cloud up * clean up * clear up * close up * crack up * cut up * double up * dress up * dry up * eat up * finish up * gang up * gang up on * go up * kick up * knock up * lash up * let up * look up * lookup * muck up * one-up * one-upmanship * open up * polish up * run up * runner up * runup * shake up * shoot up * show up * shut up * stir up * stop up * turn up * up a tree * up to * up to it * upon * upper * uppity * upto * upward * upwards * walkup * wet up * work up * write up

Preposition

(English prepositions)

Toward the top of.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=Judge Short had gone to town, and Farrar was off for a three days' cruise up the lake. I was bitterly regretting I had not gone with him when the distant notes of a coach horn reached my ear, and I descried a four-in-hand winding its way up the inn road from the direction of Mohair.}}

Toward the center, source, or main point of reference; toward the end at which something is attached.

Further along (in any direction).

From south to north of

* 2012 October 31, David M. Halbfinger, "[http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/nyregion/new-jersey-continues-to-cope-with-hurricane-sandy.html?hp]," New York Times (retrieved 31 October 2012):

Though the storm raged up the East Coast, it has become increasingly apparent that New Jersey took the brunt of it.

Antonyms

* (toward the top of) down

Derived terms

* give up * pick up * put up * ring up * take up * throw up * up a creek * up someone's alley

Adjective

(-)

Awake.

I can’t believe it’s 3 a.m. and you’re still up .

Finished, to an end

Time is up !

In a good mood.

I’m feeling up today.

Willing; ready.

If you are up for a trip, let’s go.

Next in a sequence.

Smith is up to bat.

Happening; new.

What is up with that project at headquarters?

Facing upwards; facing toward the top.

Put the notebook face up on the table.

Take a break and put your feet up .

Larger, greater in quantity.

Sales are up from last quarter.

Standing.

Get up and give her your seat.

On a higher level.

* 1925 , Walter Anthony and Tom Reed (titles), , silent movie

‘The Phantom! The Phantom is up from the cellars again!’

Available; made public.

The new notices are up as of last Tuesday.

Well-informed; current.

I’m not up on the latest news. What’s going on?

(computing) Functional; working.

Is the server back up ?

(of a railway line or train) Traveling towards a major terminus.

The London train is on the up line.

Headed, or designated to go, upward, as an escalator, stairway, elevator etc.

(bar tending) Chilled and strained into a stemmed glass.

A Cosmopolitan is typically served up .

(slang) Erect.

(of the Sun or Moon) Above the horizon, in the sky (i.e. during daytime or night-time)

* 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4

I have said I was still in darkness, yet it was not the blackness of the last night; and looking up into the inside of the tomb above, I could see the faintest line of light at one corner, which showed the sun was up .

(slang, graffiti) well-known; renowned

* 1996 , Matthew Busby Hunt, The Sociolinguistics of Tagging and Chicano Gang Graffiti (page 71)

Being "up" means having numerous graffiti in the tagging landscape.

* 2009 , Gregory J. Snyder, Graffiti Lives: Beyond the Tag in New York's Urban Underground (pages 16-40)

Graffiti writers want their names seen by writers and others so that they will be famous. Therefore writers are very serious about any opportunity to “get up'.” The throw-up became one of the fundamental techniques for getting ' up , and thereby gaining recognition and fame.

* 2011 , Adam Melnyk, Visual Orgasm: The Early Years of Canadian Graffiti

From his great rooftop pieces, selected for high visibility, to his sneaky tags and fun loving stickers, he most certainly knows how to get up .

Antonyms

* (facing upwards) down * (on a higher level) down * down * (traveling towards a major terminus) down

Derived terms

* know which end is up * up and running * up for grabs * upside * upside down

Noun

(en-noun)

(uncountable) The direction opposed to the pull of gravity.

Up is a good way to go.

(countable) A positive thing.

I hate almost everything about my job. The only up is that it's so close to home.

An upstairs room of a two story house.

She lives in a two-up two-down.

Usage notes

* Up is not commonly used as object of a preposition.

Antonyms

* (direction opposed to the pull of gravity) down

Derived terms

* ups and downs

Verb

(upp)

(colloquial) To increase or raise.

If we up the volume, we'll be able to make out the details.

We upped anchor and sailed away.

* {{quote-news

, year=2011 , date=December 10 , author=Marc Higginson , title=Bolton 1 - 2 Aston Villa , work=BBC Sport citation , passage=After a dreadful performance in the opening 45 minutes, they upped their game after the break and might have taken at least a point from the match.}}

(colloquial) To promote.

It wasn’t long before they upped him to Vice President.

To act suddenly, usually with another verb.

He just upped and quit.

He upped and punched that guy.

* 1991 , (Michael Jackson),

And she didn't leave a letter, she just upped and ran away.

Synonyms

* (increase) turn up

Derived terms

* up and * up and go * up and leave * up the ante * up the game

References

* Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "Spatial particles of orientation", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition , Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8

Statistics

Anagrams

* 100 English basic words English two-letter words 1000 English basic words ----