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backup
[ bak-uhp ]
noun
- a person or thing that supports or reinforces another.
- a musician or singer or group of musicians or singers accompanying a soloist:
a singer with a three-man backup that plays cello, bass, and guitar.
- an overflow or accumulation due to stoppage, malfunctioning, etc.:
a sewage backup; a backup of cars at the tollbooth.
- a person, plan, device, etc., kept in reserve to serve as a substitute, if needed.
- Computers.
- a copy or duplicate version, especially of a file, program, or entire computer system, retained for use in the event that the original is in some way rendered unusable.
- a procedure to follow in such an event.
- Bowling. a ball that curves in a direction corresponding to the bowling hand of the bowler.
adjective
- (of a person, plan, device, etc.) held in reserve as a substitute if needed:
a backup driver; a backup generator.
- performing a secondary or supporting function:
A drummer and guitarist are the singer's backup musicians.
Usage Note
Word History and Origins
Origin of backup1
Example Sentences
We ended up somewhere quiet, a little inn lighted with backup power and kindness.
There’s also discussion about moving around steelhead to create backup populations should calamity befall one, as well as boost genetic diversity of the rare fish.
One was provided by Barnes, the backup catcher who didn’t have a hit all season before doubling in the first in front of Ohtani.
Zedd wowed the crowd with a gospel choir and the most soaring backup arrangements of his life.
Eventually, the police requested backup and called a private ambulance to transport Yang to a nearby hospital.
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Related Words
More About Backup
does backup mean?
A backup is a person or thing that supports another, as in My role as the backup for the sales team is to take calls when the rest of the team is busy.
Backup is a noun form of the verb phrase back up, which means to support or assist.
A backup is also a person or thing kept in reserve as a substitute, as in The backup for the cake I’m making is the apple pie in the freezer.
A backup is also an overflow or accumulation caused by a blockage or stoppage, such as a car backup on the highway when there’s an accident further ahead on the road.
Backup also describes a person or thing that acts as a backup, as with backup dancers, a backup generator, a backup food supply, and a backup plan.
Example: Bring in some backup workers to help assist the customers lined up outside the door.
Where does backup come from?
The first records of the term backup come from the 1770s. It comes from the verb phrase back up, meaning “to support or assist.”
In computing, backup has a specific meaning. It refers to a copy of the data, such as photos and text files, created in case of data loss or technology malfunction. More technically, a backup on a computer refers to a compressed copy of all files on a system that is stored to an external disk and that can be used to rewrite a system’s files back to the time of the backup.
Did you know … ?
How is backup used in real life?
Backup is a common word used in reference to something that supports or that overflows.
Standing down today due to a sensor issue; backup launch opportunity tomorrow morning.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX)
Got everything set up and then backed up my laptop, all my photos and videos from my (kinda full) phone, and also everything that I'm currently syncing to Dropbox. Once openmediavault was good to go, all the backups took like, 10 minutes. Super easy.
— Caleb Figgers (@CalebFiggers)
Supply chain. Backups at the port of LA. Thousands of shipping containers on ships waiting to unload. COVID impacting everything, I guess?
— Joel Rosen (@jrosen)
Try using backup!
Is backup used correctly in the following sentence?
Be sure to backup all photos on your phone so you don’t lose them.
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