backbone
gb/bˈækbˌoʊn/ us/bˈækbˌoʊn/
B1
Inglese
~ 9500
gerinc, gerincoszlop, gerinchálózat, molekulaváz, főlánc
SOSTANTIVO
B2
1
gerinc
B2
Schema d'uso:
have (the) backbone to [do something]
The editor finally showed some backbone and rejected the misleading story.
A szerkesztő végre megmutatta, hogy van gerince, és elutasította a félrevezető cikket.
You need to have the backbone to say no when clients make unreasonable demands.
Legyen benned annyi gerinc, hogy nemet mondj, amikor az ügyfelek ésszerűtlen követelésekkel állnak elő.
The council lacked the backbone to oppose the popular but harmful policy.
Her moral backbone impressed everyone during the crisis.
Without political backbone, these reforms will never happen.
Esempi per chi studia
He did not have the backbone to tell his boss the truth.
Nem volt benne elég gerinc ahhoz, hogy megmondja a főnökének az igazat.
She showed real backbone when she spoke against the plan.
Megmutatta, hogy van benne igazi gerinc, amikor felszólalt a terv ellen.
The team needs a leader with backbone.
I hope you have enough backbone to refuse this bad offer.
They lost because no one had the backbone to make a hard decision.
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the literal body part and say things like *"He has a strong backbone"* when they mean he is brave. In this figurative sense, it is more natural to say *"He has backbone"* or *"He has a lot of backbone"*, not *"a strong backbone"*. Another mistake is to use it as a verb (*"He backboned the team"*), which is not standard.
Significato
moral courage and determination
Collocazioni
have the backbone
|lack backbone
|show some backbone
|moral backbone
|political backbone
Sinonimi
courage (More general; does not always include the idea of resisting pressure or standing up to others, which backbone often suggests.)
|
guts (Informal; very similar meaning but more casual and sometimes slightly rough in tone.)
Contrari
cowardice (Focuses on fear that stops someone from acting bravely, the opposite of moral strength or backbone.)
|
spinelessness (Informal and slightly insulting; directly describes a complete lack of backbone.)
Temi
emotions
|personality
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definizione
The strong courage and will that helps a person do something hard or stand up for what is right.
Firm strength of character that allows someone to do what is right or necessary, especially when it is difficult or unpopular.
SOSTANTIVO
B2
2
gerinc
B2
Schema d'uso:
the backbone of [something]
Small businesses are the backbone of the local economy.
A kisvállalkozások adják a helyi gazdaság gerincét.
Nurses form the backbone of the hospital staff.
Az ápolók alkotják a kórházi személyzet gerincét.
Trust is the backbone of any long-term relationship.
Volunteers are the backbone of the organization’s work.
Manufacturing remains the backbone of the region’s industry.
Esempi per chi studia
Farmers are the backbone of this village.
A gazdák adják ennek a falunak a gerincét.
Good teachers are the backbone of a strong school.
A jó tanárok alkotják egy erős iskola gerincét.
Tourism is the backbone of the island’s economy.
Hard-working staff are the backbone of his company.
Clear rules are the backbone of this program.
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes use *backbone* without *the* in this sense, saying *"Backbone of the company is its workers"*. It is more natural to say *"The backbone of the company is its workers"*. They may also say *"center"* when they mean *"main support"*, but backbone usually emphasizes support, not just location.
Significato
main support or central part
Collocazioni
the backbone of the economy
|the backbone of the team
|the backbone of society
|industrial backbone
|organizational backbone
Sinonimi
mainstay (Very close in meaning; slightly more formal and less common in everyday speech than backbone.)
|
core (Focuses on the center or most basic part; may not always carry the idea of support as strongly as backbone.)
Contrari
periphery (Refers to less central or less important parts, the opposite of a core supporting role.)
|
sideshow (Informal; something secondary or unimportant compared with the main or central part.)
Temi
business
|society
|technology
|work
|core_vocabulary
Definizione
The main and most important part of something that supports all the other parts.
The most important or strongest supporting part of an organization, system, group, or activity, on which other parts depend.
SOSTANTIVO
B1
3
gerinc
B1
gerincoszlop
B2
Schema d'uso:
[someone]'s backbone
The accident damaged his backbone and left him in constant pain.
A balesetben megsérült a gerince, és azóta állandó fájdalmai vannak.
A strong backbone helps you maintain good posture.
Az erős gerinc segít megőrizni a helyes testtartást.
The X-ray showed a slight curve in her backbone.
This exercise can put too much pressure on your backbone.
The doctor explained how the backbone protects the spinal cord.
Esempi per chi studia
He hurt his backbone when he fell.
Megsérült a gerince, amikor elesett.
The backbone helps you stand up straight.
A gerinc segít egyenesen állni.
Her backbone was broken in the car crash.
Your backbone is made of many small bones.
The doctor checked his backbone with an X-ray.
Errore comune:
Learners sometimes confuse *backbone* with *back bone* written as two words, which is incorrect. They may also use *backbone* to mean just the muscles or skin of the back; it actually means the bones of the spine. In modern English, *spine* is more common in medical or scientific speech, but *backbone* is still correct.
Significato
spine; column of back bones
Collocazioni
injured backbone
|broken backbone
|curved backbone
|animal’s backbone
|backbone injury
Sinonimi
spine (The more common modern medical and everyday term for the same body part; backbone can sound slightly more basic or informal in anatomical contexts.)
|
spinal column (More technical and formal; usually used in medical or scientific contexts.)
Contrari
limb (Not a direct opposite, but contrasts the central supporting column of the body with arms and legs at the edges.)
Temi
body
|health
|science
|animals
Definizione
The line of bones in the middle of your back that helps you stand and move.
The row of connected bones running down the middle of the back in humans and many animals, forming part of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord.
SOSTANTIVO
C1
TECHNICAL
4
Schema d'uso:
[something] backbone
The new fiber-optic backbone connects all of the company’s regional data centers.
Az új optikai gerinchálózat összeköti a vállalat összes regionális adatközpontját.
Any failure in the internet backbone can disrupt services across several countries.
Az internet gerinchálózatának bármilyen meghibásodása több országban is megzavarhatja a szolgáltatásokat.
They invested heavily in upgrading the national broadband backbone.
Traffic is routed through the backbone before reaching local access points.
Cloud providers rely on a robust backbone to handle global data flows.
Esempi per chi studia
The internet backbone carries data between big networks.
Az internet gerinchálózata nagy hálózatok között továbbít adatokat.
A strong network backbone makes the internet faster.
Egy nagy kapacitású gerinchálózat gyorsabbá teszi az internetet.
The company built a new fiber backbone for its offices.
If the backbone fails, many websites can go down.
Many small networks connect to the main backbone.
Errore comune:
Learners may think *internet backbone* means the physical center of the internet in one place. In fact, it is a set of major, fast connections that link many networks together, often spread across large areas or countries.
Significato
central high-capacity network
Collocazioni
internet backbone
|network backbone
|broadband backbone
|fiber-optic backbone
|backbone infrastructure
Sinonimi
core network (Technical term that focuses on the central routing and switching functions; backbone highlights the main high-capacity paths.)
Contrari
edge network (Refers to the outer, end-user part of a network, contrasting with the central backbone.)
Temi
technology
|internet
|science
|communication
Definizione
The main, very fast part of a computer or phone network that links smaller parts together.
In computing and telecommunications, a main high-speed network line or group of lines that connects and carries data between smaller networks.
SOSTANTIVO
C1
TECHNICAL
5
molekulaváz
C2
főlánc
C2
Schema d'uso:
[something] backbone
The carbon backbone of the molecule is very stable.
A molekula szénváza nagyon stabil.
Water molecules interact mainly with the protein backbone in this region.
A vízmolekulák ebben a régióban főként a fehérje főláncával lépnek kölcsönhatásba.
Changing the polymer backbone can greatly affect its flexibility.
The amino acids are linked along the peptide backbone.
This reaction only modifies the side groups, not the main backbone.
Esempi per chi studia
The carbon backbone gives the molecule its shape.
A szénváz adja meg a molekula alakját.
In this protein, the backbone is very long.
Ebben a fehérjében a főlánc nagyon hosszú.
The backbone stays the same, but the side chains change.
Scientists studied how the backbone moves in water.
The plastic’s backbone is made from long carbon chains.
Errore comune:
Learners may think *backbone* in chemistry refers to any important part of a molecule. It specifically means the main continuous chain of atoms, not the side groups attached to it.
Significato
main chain of a molecule
Collocazioni
carbon backbone
|protein backbone
|polymer backbone
|peptide backbone
|molecular backbone
Sinonimi
skeleton (Used metaphorically in chemistry to describe the basic structure of a molecule; backbone is more specific to the main chain of atoms.)
Contrari
side chain (Refers to groups of atoms attached to the main chain, in contrast to the central backbone.)
Temi
science
|chemistry
|biology
Definizione
In chemistry, the main line of atoms that makes the basic shape of a big molecule, like a protein or plastic.
In chemistry and biochemistry, the main continuous chain of atoms that forms the basic structural framework of a molecule, especially a polymer or protein.
Grammatica
Forma base
backbone
IPA
GB/bˈækbˌoʊn/
US/bˈækbˌoʊn/
Sillabe e accento
back - bone (2 sillabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (back)
Forme flesse
Noun
- Base: backbone
- Plural: backbones
Famiglia di parole
Espressioni
be the backbone of
1/bˈi ðə bˈækbˌoʊn əv/
fixed phrase
serve as main support
To be the most important and strongest part that supports everything else.
Esempi
- Skilled workers are the backbone of the manufacturing sector.
- Reliable transport is the backbone of a modern city.
- These core subjects are the backbone of the school curriculum.
have the backbone to
1/hˈæv ðə bˈækbˌoʊn tə/
idiom
be brave enough to do something
To be strong and brave enough to do something difficult or unpopular.
Esempi
- Do you have the backbone to tell her the truth?
- He finally had the backbone to resign from the corrupt company.
- No one had the backbone to vote against the proposal.
lack backbone
1/lˈæk bˈækbˌoʊn/
idiom
be weak or cowardly
To not have the courage or strong will to do something difficult or right.
Esempi
- The committee lacks backbone and avoids tough decisions.
- He’s clever, but he lacks backbone when pressure comes.
- They said the leader lacked backbone during the crisis.
put some backbone into
1/pˈʊt sˈʌm bˈækbˌoʊn ˈɪntu/
idiom
do something with more effort
To start doing something with more energy, effort, or courage.
Esempi
- If we put some backbone into this project, we can finish on time.
- The coach told the team to put some backbone into their training.
- It is time the government put some backbone into these reforms.
the backbone of
1/ðə bˈækbˌoʊn əv/
fixed phrase
main support of something
Used to say that a person or thing is the most important part that supports everything else.
Esempi
- Community volunteers are the backbone of this festival.
- Data is the backbone of their business model.
- These repeat customers are the backbone of our sales.