Backing

How to spell backing

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce backing

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does backing mean?

1. nounHelp, support, or approval given to a person, plan, or cause, often financial.
2. nounA layer of material attached to the rear of something to support or strengthen it.
3. nounMusic or vocals that accompany and support a lead performance.

Backing in a sentence

• The project went ahead once it had the full backing of the board.

• The carpet has a tough rubber backing that stops it sliding on tile.

• The singer recorded her vocals over a pre-mixed backing in the studio.

• The charity could not survive without the financial backing of local firms.

• He peeled the paper backing from the sticker before pressing it down.

• Two session musicians provided the backing for the live set.

Where does backing come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word grows directly from the native English noun and verb 'back', which descends from the Old English 'baec', meaning the rear part of the body or of any object. That Old English form had close cousins across the Germanic languages, such as Old Norse 'bak' and Old Saxon 'bak', all carrying the same sense of the hinder side. From the literal idea of standing behind something came the figurative verb 'to back', meaning to support or stand behind a person or cause, recorded from the late 1500s. Adding the ordinary suffix '-ing' produced 'backing', first naming the act of supporting and later the physical material placed behind something to reinforce it. The spelling is regular and phonetic, with the only point of care being the doubled letter pattern in the simple 'ck' and the plain '-ing' ending.

How the word is built

• back (rear, support)
• -ing (noun suffix forming an action or result)