BACKUP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does backup mean? 

• BACKUP (noun)
  The noun BACKUP has 5 senses:

1. an accumulation caused by clogging or a stoppage

2. someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult)

3. a musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts

4. (computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device

5. the act of providing approval and support

  Familiarity information: BACKUP used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BACKUP (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An accumulation caused by clogging or a stoppage

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Context example:

he discovered a backup in the toilet

Hypernyms ("backup" is a kind of...):

accretion; accumulation (an increase by natural growth or addition)

Derivation:

back up (become or cause to become obstructed)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Someone who takes the place of another (as when things get dangerous or difficult)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

backup; backup man; fill-in; relief; reliever; stand-in; substitute

Context example:

we need extra employees for summer fill-ins

Hypernyms ("backup" is a kind of...):

compeer; equal; match; peer (a person who is of equal standing with another in a group)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "backup"):

locum; locum tenens (someone (physician or clergyman) who substitutes temporarily for another member of the same profession)

double; stunt man; stunt woman (a stand-in for movie stars to perform dangerous stunts)

alternate; replacement; surrogate (someone who takes the place of another person)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A musical part (vocal or instrumental) that supports or provides background for other musical parts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

accompaniment; backup; musical accompaniment; support

Hypernyms ("backup" is a kind of...):

part; voice (the melody carried by a particular voice or instrument in polyphonic music)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "backup"):

descant; discant (a decorative musical accompaniment (often improvised) added above a basic melody)

vamp (an improvised musical accompaniment)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(computer science) a copy of a file or directory on a separate storage device

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

backup; computer backup

Context example:

he made a backup in case the original was accidentally damaged or erased

Hypernyms ("backup" is a kind of...):

duplicate; duplication (a copy that corresponds to an original exactly)

Domain category:

computer science; computing (the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures)

Derivation:

back up (make a copy of (a computer file) especially for storage in another place as a security copy)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The act of providing approval and support

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

backing; backup; championship; patronage

Context example:

his vigorous backing of the conservatives got him in trouble with progressives

Hypernyms ("backup" is a kind of...):

approval; approving; blessing (the formal act of approving)

Derivation:

back up (give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to)

 Context examples 

Issue associated with the failure of the facility's emergency power backup systems(s) including generators and/or uninterruptible power systems (UPS).

(Emergency Power Failure Medical Device Problem, Food and Drug Administration)

Issue associated with the inability to backup or to retrieve a backed up version (corrupted file) of device data or system files.

(Failure to Back-Up Software Problem Associated with Medical Device, Food and Drug Administration)

A backup sequence of characters used to identify a study.

(Alternate Identifier, NCI Thesaurus)

Now, the Voyager team is able to use a set of four backup thrusters, dormant since 1980.

(Voyager 1 Fires Up Thrusters After 37 Years, NASA)

As said before, Saturn brings delays and a need for exhaustive backup.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The Computer Service Shared Resource provides Cancer Center members with the technical support related to computer issues: desktop computer assistance, upgrades, hardware and software related problems, problems maintenance of file/mail/Internet servers, security and backup systems, computer purchase assistance, network topology, operations management, data base administration, Web site development.

(Computer Service Shared Resource, NCI Thesaurus)

Demand paperwork and backup if necessary, and if the other person resists, that’s a sign he or she has to go.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Ask IT to be sure all software is up to date, with bugs fixed and backups performed.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)