I will back him [a horse] straight. --Shak.
2. To place or seat upon the back. [R.]
Great Jupiter, upon his eagle backed, Appeared to
me. --Shak.
3. To drive or force backward; to cause to retreat or recede;
as, to back oxen.
4. To make a back for; to furnish with a back; as, to back
books.
5. To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.
A garden . . . with a vineyard backed. --Shak.
The chalk cliffs which back the beach. --Huxley.
6. To write upon the back of; as, to back a letter; to
indorse; as, to back a note or legal document.
7. To support; to maintain; to second or strengthen by aid or
influence; as, to back a friend. ``Parliament would be
backed by the people.'' --Macaulay.
Have still found it necessary to back and fortify
their laws with rewards and punishments. --South.
The mate backed the captain manfully. --Blackw. Mag.
8. To bet on the success of; -- as, to back a race horse.
{To back an anchor} (Naut.), to lay down a small anchor ahead
of a large one, the cable of the small one being fastened
to the crown of the large one.
{To back the field}, in horse racing, to bet against a
particular horse or horses, that some one of all the other
horses, collectively designated ``the field'', will win.
{To back the oars}, to row backward with the oars.
{To back a rope}, to put on a preventer.
{To back the sails}, to arrange them so as to cause the ship
to move astern.
{To back up}, to support; to sustain; as, to back up one's
friends.
{To back a warrant} (Law), is for a justice of the peace, in
the county where the warrant is to be executed, to sign or
indorse a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend
an offender.
{To back water} (Naut.), to reverse the action of the oars,
paddles, or propeller, so as to force the boat or ship
backward.