back forty en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From back + forty, meaning “back side of a farm”. In the Homestead Acts (1860s–), farmers were granted a quarter section; a section was nominally 1 square mile containing 640 acres, a quarter section was 160 acres, and the quarter section was itself subdivided into four quarter-quarter sections of 40 acres each: two front forty and two back forty. Compare north forty, back of beyond, backcountry, and backwater.
Meanings
-
(Canada, US) The remote part of a farm.
They couldn't contact the farmer right away because he was out plowing the back forty
- (Canada, US, idiomatic) The most remote or inaccessible part of any place.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| back forties | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Synonyms
See: Thesaurus:remote place (remote place)