Dictionary

background en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• /ˈbæk.(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/

Etymology

From back + ground. Compare backstory.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Less important or less noticeable in a scene or system.
   • background noise
   • The antivirus program runs on a background thread.

Forms

Antonyms

primary · foreground · conspicuous · prominent · forestanding

background en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• /ˈbæk.(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/

Etymology

From back + ground. Compare backstory.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) One's social heritage, or previous life; what one did in the past.
   • The lawyer had a background in computer science.
2. (countable, uncountable) A part of the picture that depicts scenery to the rear or behind the main subject; context.
   • Earless ghost swift moths become “invisible” to echolocating bats by forming mating clusters close[…]above vegetation and effectively blending into the clutter of echoes that the bat receives from the leaves and stems around them. Many insects probably use this strategy, which is a close analogy to crypsis in the visible world — camouflage and other methods for blending into one’s visual background. 2013 May-June, William E. Conner, “An Acoustic Arms Race”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, archived from the original on 06 Mar 2016, pages 206–207:
3. (countable, uncountable) An extra who appears in the background, with no speaking role.
4. (countable, uncountable) Information relevant to the current situation about past events; history.
5. (countable, uncountable) A less important feature of scenery (as opposed to foreground).
   • The photographer let us pick a background for the portrait.
   • There was tons of noise in the background.
6. (countable, uncountable) The image or color over which a computer's desktop items are shown (e.g. icons or application windows).
7. (countable, uncountable) A type of activity on a computer that is not normally visible to the user.
   • The antivirus program is running in the background.
8. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) Ellipsis of background radiation.
   alt of background radiation
   • low-background

Forms

Deriveds

backgroundy · cosmic gravitational-wave background · backgrounder · headground · background process · cosmic background radiation · background noise · background processing · background right · background check · low-background lead · on background · cosmic gravitational wave background · background investigation · gravitational-wave background · cosmic neutrino background · background fodder · low-background · background music · cosmic background · background radiation equivalent time · cosmic infrared background · multibackground · superbackground · extragalactic background light · low-background steel · gravitational wave background · background radiation · cosmic microwave background · deep background

Synonyms

canvas

Translations (214)

fr historique (relevant information) · da baggrund (social heritage) · ja 背景 (relevant information) · ja 背景 (part of picture) · hy խորք (computing: computer background) · fr arrière-plan (part of picture) · it sottofondo (computing: activity not visible to the user) · ja バックグラウンド (computing: activity not visible to the user) · bg фон (part of picture) · ru предпосы́лка (relevant information) · it storia (relevant information) · es fondo (computing: computer background) · ru фо́н (less important feature) · tr arka plan (computing: computer background) · fr fond d'écran (computing: computer background) · fr fond (less important feature) · el βάθος (less important feature) · ru бэ́кграунд (part of picture) · it secondo piano (less important feature) · sh kontekst (relevant information) · ms latar belakang (computing: activity not visible to the user) · mr पार्श्वभूमी (part of picture) · ru фо́новый режи́м (computing: activity not visible to the user) · fa پسزمینه (computing: activity not visible to the user) · ru о́пыт (social heritage) · bg за́ден план (computing: activity not visible to the user) · hu háttér (part of picture) · pt fundo (computing: computer background) · ms latar belakang (social heritage) · nl achtergrond (computing: activity not visible to the user) · mk позадина (part of picture) · es histórico (relevant information) · mi tuarongo (part of picture) · uk фон (part of picture) · ja バックグラウンド (relevant information) · pl tło (part of picture) · it bagaglio culturale (social heritage) · pt histórico (relevant information) · pt plano de fundo (part of picture) · ru фо́н (part of picture) · is bakgrunnur (computing: computer background) · fi tausta (social heritage) · it formazione (social heritage) · ja 背景 (less important feature) · es en segundo plano (computing: activity not visible to the user) · ko 예비지식 (relevant information) · ru бэкгра́унд (social heritage) · pt instrução (social heritage) · sv bakgrund (social heritage) · vi nền (part of picture) · vi cơ sở (social heritage) · es foro (part of picture) · ru бэкгра́унд (computing: computer background) · da baggrund (part of picture) · it sfondo (computing: computer background) · de Hintergrund (computing: activity not visible to the user) · ca bagatge (social heritage) · da baggrund (relevant information) · vi nền (computing: activity not visible to the user) · he רֶקַע (social heritage) · tl sanligan (social heritage) · es lejanía (part of picture) · de Schreibtischhintergrund (computing: computer background) · tr arka plan (part of picture) · cs pozadí (part of picture) · hy ֆոն (part of picture) · ru подоплёка (relevant information) · ko 배경 (part of picture) · ru бэкгра́унд (less important feature) · pt plano de fundo (computing: computer background) · ru предысто́рия (relevant information) · vi nền (less important feature) · hi पृष्ठभूमि (part of picture) · es antecedentes (relevant information) · uk тло (relevant information) · ko 배경 (relevant information) · hu háttér (less important feature) · ko 배경 (less important feature) · pl dalszy plan (less important feature) · be за́дні план (part of picture) · ru происхожде́ние (social heritage) · fr antécédents (relevant information) · fi tausta (less important feature) · es ascendencia (social heritage) · vi hình nền (computing: computer background) · fi taustatieto (relevant information) · es trasfondo (part of picture) · az zəmin (relevant information) · ga cúlra (social heritage) · de Hintergrund (less important feature) · ro context (relevant information) · pl doświadczenie (social heritage) · izh foona (part of picture) · sk pozadie (relevant information) · fr en arrière-plan (computing: activity not visible to the user) · cmn 背景 (part of picture) · uk тло (part of picture) · ca fons (part of picture) · ko 바탕색 (computing: computer background) · fi tausta (computing: activity not visible to the user) · he רֶקַע (part of picture) · fr tâche de fond (computing: activity not visible to the user) · eo fono (part of picture) · fi historia (relevant information) · pl pochodzenie (relevant information) · az zəmin (part of picture) · fa پسزمینه (computing: computer background) · sv bakgrundsbild (computing: computer background) · ro fundal (part of picture) · hi पृष्ठभूमि (relevant information) · eo fono (computing: computer background) · ru фон (computing: computer background) · ru за́дний план (less important feature) · hu háttér (computing: activity not visible to the user) · uk за́дній план (part of picture) · sh porijeklo (social heritage) · it contesto (social heritage) · cs pozadí (relevant information) · es segundo plano (less important feature) · sv bakgrund (part of picture) · kk артқы көрініс (part of picture) · de Hintergrund (part of picture) · he רֶקַע (relevant information) · sv bakgrund (less important feature) · fi tausta (computing: computer background) · pt segundo plano (less important feature) · it retaggio (social heritage) · ru за́дний план (part of picture) · ro fundal (computing: activity not visible to the user) · el υπόβαθρο (relevant information) · it istruzione (social heritage) · eo fona tasko (computing: activity not visible to the user) · ka ფონური რეჟიმი (computing: activity not visible to the user) · pt segundo plano (computing: activity not visible to the user) · it antefatto (relevant information) · be фон (part of picture) · tr arka plan (computing: activity not visible to the user) · pl drugi plan (part of picture) · be пахо́джанне (social heritage) · ms latar belakang (computing: computer background) · ja バックグラウンド (computing: computer background) · es fondo de pantalla (computing: computer background) · pl tło (computing: activity not visible to the user) · it legato (social heritage) · lv fons (part of picture) · ru бэкгра́унд (part of picture) · fi tausta (part of picture) · ca rerefons (less important feature) · sv fond (part of picture) · it in sordina (computing: activity not visible to the user) · pt experiência (social heritage) · pl kontekst (relevant information) · ru бэкгра́унд (relevant information) · gd cùl-fhiosrachadh (relevant information) · hu háttér (computing: computer background) · nl achtergrond (part of picture) · hu háttér (social heritage) · cmn 背景 (less important feature) · nl achtergrond (social heritage) · sv bakgrund (computing: activity not visible to the user) · it sfondo (part of picture) · sv skrivbordsbakgrund (computing: computer background) · fr origine (social heritage) · pl tapeta (computing: computer background) · vi bối cảnh (relevant information) · ar خلفية (computing: computer background) · es historial (relevant information) · it sottofondo (less important feature) · bg за́ден план (part of picture) · mr बॅकग्राउंड (computing: computer background) · es procedencia (social heritage) · sh poreklo (social heritage) · sh pozadina (part of picture) · mr पार्श्वभूमी (social heritage) · ko 백그라운드 (relevant information) · it antecedente (relevant information) · pt formação (social heritage) · fi taustaväri (computing: computer background) · de Hintergrund (relevant information) · kn ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆ (part of picture) · tl sanligan (relevant information) · tr arka (computing: activity not visible to the user) · vi nền (social heritage) · da baggrund (less important feature) · es lontananza (part of picture) · gd cùlaibh (computing: computer background) · pl dalszy plan (part of picture) · es fondo (part of picture) · de Hintergrundbild (computing: computer background) · es formación (social heritage) · pl drugi plan (less important feature) · sv bakgrund (relevant information) · sh pretpovijest (relevant information) · el καταγωγή (social heritage) · cmn 背景 (relevant information) · cs zázemí (social heritage) · el βάθος (part of picture) · ms latar belakang (relevant information) · pt fundo (part of picture) · ca antecedents (relevant information) · fi taustakuva (computing: computer background) · fr passé (social heritage) · de Hintergrund (social heritage) · ru образова́ние (social heritage) · uk похо́дження (social heritage) · ru подгото́вка (social heritage) · pt antecedente (relevant information) · hy նախագիտելիք (relevant information) · ko 백그라운드 (computing: computer background) · ko 백그라운드 (computing: activity not visible to the user) · wa erî-plan (part of picture) · tl sanligan (part of picture) · it esperienza (social heritage) · ru конте́кст (relevant information)

wikidata: Q1139104

background en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• /ˈbæk.(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/

Etymology

From back + ground. Compare backstory.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To place in the background.
   • Ha! I see Venus’ transit now;—lo! a new planet there;—and behind all, an infinite starry nebulousness, as if thy being were backgrounded by some spangled vail of mystery. 1852, Herman Melville, Pierre; or The Ambiguities:
2. (figuratively, transitive) To put in a position that is not prominent.
   • One aspect of the story that appears interesting is that the alleged rapist and victim are only referred to by name together in the same sentence once. In all the other sentences, one receives more focus, while the other is backgrounded. 2006, Paul Baker, Using Corpora in Discourse Analysis, page 163:
3. To gather and provide background information (on).
4. (transitive) To increase the weight and immunity of (a calf) by feeding with forage and grains, as an intermediate stage in cattle production, between weaning and placement in a feedlot.

Forms

Synonyms

downplay

background en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• /ˈbæk.(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/

Meanings

1. (form-of, participle, past) simple past and past participle of backgrind
   form of backgrind