Back

(bak.) (Naut.) On shipboard, to back the anchor is to carry out a small anchor ahead of the larger one for the latter's support.- To back the sails, to place the sails in such a position as to give the ve el stern-way, the tide being inher favor.-To back astern, to give reverse action to the oars, so as to impel a boat forward stern wise. To back and fill, the operation of giving headway to a ship in narrow channels, ., by advancing from the one shore, and moving backwards from the other. [s. 67]