backstroker

someone who swims the backstroke ;

backswimmer

predaceous aquatic insect that swims on its back and may inflict painful bites ;

backsword

a sword with only one cutting edge ; a stick used instead of a sword for fencing ;

backtalk

an impudent or insolent rejoinder; "don't give me any of your sass" ;

backup

the act of providing approval and support; "his vigorous backing of the conservatives got him in trouble with progressives" ; (computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device; "he made a backup in case the original was accidentally damaged or erased" ; a subordinate musical part; provides background for more important parts ; someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult); "the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes"; "we need extra employees for summer fill-ins" ; an accumulation caused by clogging or a stoppage; "a traffic backup on the main street"; "he discovered a backup in the toilet" ;

backup file

(computer science) a computer file dedicated to storing and updating computer backups ;

backup man

someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult); "the star had a stand-in for dangerous scenes"; "we need extra employees for summer fill-ins" ;

backup system

a computer system for making backups ;

backwardness

lack of normal development of intellectual capacities ;

backwash

the wave that spreads behind a boat as it moves forward; "the motorboat's wake capsized the canoe" ; the consequences of an event (especially a catastrophic event); "the aftermath of war"; "in the wake of the accident no one knew how many had been injured" ; the flow of air that is driven backwards by an aircraft propeller ;

backwater

any backward region that is isolated from the world and resists progress ; a body of water that was created by a flood or tide or by being held or forced back by a dam; "the bayous and backwaters are breeding grounds for mosquitos" ;

backwoods

a remote and undeveloped area ;

backwoodsman

a man who lives on the frontier ;

backyard

the grounds in back of a house ;

bacon

back and sides of a hog salted and dried or smoked; usually sliced thin and fried ; English statesman and philosopher; precursor of British empiricism; advocated inductive reasoning (1561-1626) ; English scientist and Franciscan monk who stressed the importance of experimentation; first showed that air is required for combustion and first used lenses to correct vision (1220-1292) ;

bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich

sandwich filled with slices of bacon and tomato with lettuce ;

bacon and eggs

eggs (fried or scrambled) served with bacon ; European forage plant having claw-shaped pods introduced in America ;

bacon rind

the rind of bacon ;

bacon strip

a slice of bacon ;

bacteremia

transient presence of bacteria (or other microorganisms) in the blood ;

bacteria

(microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission; important as pathogens and for biochemical properties; taxonomy is difficult; often considered plants ;

bacteria bed

layer of sand or gravel used to expose sewage effluent to air and the action of microorganisms ;

bacteria family

a family of bacteria ;

bacteria genus

a genus of bacteria ;

bacteria order

an order of bacteria ;

bacteria species

a species of bacteria ;

bacteriacide

any chemical agent that destroys bacteria ;

bacteriaemia

transient presence of bacteria (or other microorganisms) in the blood ;

bacterial plaque

a film of mucus and bacteria deposited on the teeth that encourages the development of dental caries ;

bacterial toxin

any endotoxin or exotoxin formed in or elaborated by bacterial cells ;

bactericide

any drug that destroys bacteria or inhibits their growth ; any chemical agent that destroys bacteria ;

bacteriemia

transient presence of bacteria (or other microorganisms) in the blood ;

bacteriochlorophyll

a substance in photosensitive bacteria that is related to but different from chlorophyll of higher plants ;

bacteriological warfare

the use of harmful bacteria as a weapon ;

bacteriologist

a biologist who studies bacteria ;

bacteriology

the branch of medical science that studies bacteria in relation to disease ;

bacteriolysis

dissolution or destruction of bacteria ;

bacteriophage

a virus that is parasitic in bacteria; "phage uses the bacterium's machinery and energy to produce more phage until the bacterium is destroyed and phage is released to invade surrounding bacteria" ;

bacteriostasis

inhibition of the growth of bacteria ;

bacteriostat

a chemical or biological material that inhibits bacterial growth ;