backclothn.
1. Calico-printing. A cloth placed between the fabric that is being printed and the ‘blanket’, in order to keep the latter clean. Also called back-grey n.
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the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture textile fabric or that which consists of > manufacture of textile fabric > treating or processing textile fabric > [noun] > printing > calico printing > back-cloth
backcloth1874
greyback1875
back-grey1896
1874 W. Crookes Pract. Handbk. Dyeing viii. 552 The revolution of the blanket, back-cloth, and pieces is regulated by the following contrivance.
1897 C. F. S. Rothwell Printing Textile Fabrics 34 The back tenter's work is to guide the piece and back cloth into the machine.
1901 A. Sansone Print. Cott. Fabrics (ed. 2) 420 For keeping the blanket clean, the back cloth is allowed to go between the blanket and the printing cloth.
2. Theatre. The painted cloth hung across the back of the stage as the principal part of the scenery. Also transferred and figurative.
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society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > the theatre or the stage > a theatre > theatrical equipment or accessories > [noun] > scenery > cloth > types of
sky-border1744
skydrop1854
skycloth1871
sea-cloth1883
cut cloth1884
front cloth1884
backcloth1886
backdrop1913
cyclorama1915
teaser1916
scrim1930
cut drop1961
the world > space > relative position > position at the back > [noun] > that which lies behind something
background1672
backcloth1955
1886 Cornhill Mag. Oct. 435 They gazed awestruck at the backcloth and the flies.
1926 Spectator 10 July 44/2 Thirty acres or so for a stage and the whole firmament of heaven for a back-cloth.
1927 Observer 6 Nov. 9 The background..is not a carefully constructed scene, but only a flimsy and dim back-cloth.
1955 Times 31 Aug. 9/2 Hanging indeed like a backcloth to Mr. Lennox-Boyd's tour, is the policy and power of China.
1955 G. S. Fraser in J. Wain Interpretations 214 A river, for a Restoration poet, would be primarily..a backcloth for pastoral.
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3. Nautical. ‘A triangular piece of canvas fastened in the middle of a topsail-yard to facilitate the stowing of the bunt of the topsail’ ( Cent. Dict. 1889).
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1933; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
> as lemmas
back-cloth
(c) attributive. Of or pertaining to the back, used for or carried on the back, e.g. back-ache, back-cloth, back-clout, back-fin; back-basket, back-burden, back-dunt.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > [noun]
clothesc888
hattersOE
shroudc1000
weedOE
shrouda1122
clothc1175
hatteringa1200
atourc1220
back-clout?c1225
habit?c1225
clothingc1275
cleadinga1300
dubbinga1300
shroudinga1300
attirec1300
coverturec1300
suitc1325
apparel1330
buskingc1330
farec1330
harness1340
tire1340
backs1341
geara1350
apparelmentc1374
attiringa1375
vesturec1385
heelinga1387
vestmentc1386
arraya1400
graitha1400
livery1399
tirementa1400
warnementa1400
arrayment1400
parelc1400
werlec1400
raiment?a1425
robinga1450
rayc1450
implements1454
willokc1460
habiliment1470
emparelc1475
atourement1481
indumenta1513
reparel1521
wearing gear1542
revesture1548
claesc1550
case1559
attirement1566
furniture1566
investuring1566
apparelling1567
dud1567
hilback1573
wear1576
dress1586
enfolding1586
caparison1589
plight1590
address1592
ward-ware1598
garnish1600
investments1600
ditement1603
dressing1603
waith1603
thing1605
vestry1606
garb1608
outwall1608
accoutrementa1610
wearing apparel1617
coutrement1621
vestament1632
vestiment1637
equipage1645
cask1646
aguise1647
back-timbera1656
investiture1660
rigging1664
drapery1686
vest1694
plumage1707
bussingc1712
hull1718
paraphernalia1736
togs1779
body clothing1802
slough1808
toggery1812
traps1813
garniture1827
body-clothes1828
garmenture1832
costume1838
fig1839
outfit1840
vestiture1841
outer womana1845
outward man1846
vestiary1846
rag1855
drag1870
clo'1874
parapherna1876
clobber1879
threads1926
mocker1939
schmatte1959
vine1959
kit1989
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > [noun] > garment or article of
raileOE
i-wedeOE
reafOE
shroudc1000
weedOE
back-cloth?c1225
hatter?c1225
clouta1300
coverturec1300
garment1340
vesturec1384
clothc1385
vestmentc1386
jeryne?a1400
clothinga1425
gilla1438
raiment1440
haterella1450
vestimenta1500
indumenta1513
paitclaith1550
casceis1578
attire1587
amice1600
implements1601
cladment1647
enduement1650
vest1655
body garment1688
wearable1711
sledo1719
rag1855
number1894
opaque1903
daytimer1936
the world > health and disease > ill health > pain > pain in specific parts > [noun] > in back
back-ache?c1225
ripples1568
lumbago1684
ripplec1700
bellon1794
rachialgia1807
painter's colic1822
notalgia1833
the world > animals > fish > parts of fish > [noun] > fin or parts of fin > dorsal
back-fin?c1225
adipose fin1789
radius1822
subdorsal1856
dead fin1865
the world > animals > mammals > order Cetacea (whales) > [noun] > parts of > (types of) fin
finc1000
back-fin?c1225
ventral fin1752
pectoral?a1808
ventral1834
subdorsal1856
pinna1890
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance by carrying > [noun] > by a person > a load
back-burden?c1225
load?c1225
carriagea1398
birth1497
freight1618
porterage1666
headload1795
backload1823
the world > movement > impact > striking > striking on specific part of the body > [noun] > on the body > on the back
back-dunt?c1225
society > occupation and work > equipment > receptacle or container > basket > [noun] > for carrying > carried on the back
back-basket?c1225
creel1803
puttony1940
warishi1941
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 214 Stronge bac duntes.
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. x. 362 Oure bakcloþis [v.r. bakkes] þat moth-eten be.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 196/1 Backeburden, portee, charge.
1601 A. Dent Plaine Mans Path-way to Heauen 89 Tooth-ache, head ache, back-ache, bone-ache.
1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) at Bray Back-clouts for young children.
1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World i. 173 She came..with a great back Burthen of Roots.
1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians 90 Large portable back-baskets.
1863 C. Kingsley Water-babies iv. 144 With their backfins out of the water.
1907 J. Masefield Tarpaulin Muster xii. 132 It was ‘Shift topmasts’, or ‘Down top-gallant yards’, or some gummy backache or another all the whole day long.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses i. iii. [Proteus] 39 We have nothing in the house but backache pills.
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n.1874as lemmas