Dictionary

piggyback en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

A corruption of pickaback, itself a corruption of pick-pack, like a pack.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) On somebody's back or shoulders.
   • give someone a piggyback ride
2. (not-comparable) Pertaining to transportation of goods where one transportation unit is carried on the back of something else. For example, a truck on a train.
   • Until this time the railroads had favored piggyback services […] 1985, John H. Mahoney, Intermodal Freight Transportation:
   • A Montreal-Toronto "Piggyback" freight of the Canadian Pacific. 1959 November, J. N. Westwood, “The Railways of Canada”, in Trains Illustrated, page 554, photo caption:
   • What might be termed the psychological break-through for U.S. piggyback came in 1953-54. A prototype 75-foot piggyback flatcar was built, establishing the precedent for today's standard car with a capacity for two road trailers. 1960 November, David Morgan, “"Piggyback"—U.S. success story”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 681–682:
3. (not-comparable) Attached or appended to something larger or more important.
   • piggyback legislation

Forms

Relateds

TOFC

piggyback en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

A corruption of pickaback, itself a corruption of pick-pack, like a pack.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) On somebody's back or shoulders.
   • to ride piggyback

Forms

Synonyms

pooseback (on somebody's back or shoulders)

Translations (24)

es al apa (on somebody's back or shoulders) · ru на зако́рках (on somebody's back or shoulders) · es a tuto (on somebody's back or shoulders) · pt às cavaluchas (on somebody's back or shoulders) · es a la espalda (on somebody's back or shoulders) · fi reppuselässä (on somebody's back or shoulders) · nl meeliften (on somebody's back or shoulders) · ko 어부바 (on somebody's back or shoulders) · mk у́шка (on somebody's back or shoulders) · pl na barana (on somebody's back or shoulders) · it a cavalluccio (on somebody's back or shoulders) · sco cocky-rosie (on somebody's back or shoulders) · de huckepack (on somebody's back or shoulders) · ru на спине́ (on somebody's back or shoulders) · ast a recostines (on somebody's back or shoulders) · pt às cavalitas (on somebody's back or shoulders) · sco backie (on somebody's back or shoulders) · bcl baba (on somebody's back or shoulders) · gd giomach-goc (on somebody's back or shoulders) · es a cuestas (on somebody's back or shoulders) · es a tute (on somebody's back or shoulders) · ja 肩車 (on somebody's back or shoulders) · es al caballito (on somebody's back or shoulders) · mk на́ грб (on somebody's back or shoulders)

piggyback en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

A corruption of pickaback, itself a corruption of pick-pack, like a pack.

Meanings

1. (countable) A ride on somebody's back or shoulders.
2. (countable, uncountable) An act or instance of piggybacking.
   • The GOP had done its homework prior to bargaining for these piggybacks. 2000, Craig Allen, Eisenhower and the Mass Media: Peace, Prosperity, and Prime-time TV:
   • The growth is taken for granted; what absorbs Americans today is the implication of piggyback for gross revenues and, more important, net profits. 1960 November, David Morgan, “"Piggyback"—U.S. success story”, in Trains Illustrated, page 683:
3. (countable, uncountable) The connection of one intravenous drip to another.
   • Certain IV drugs, whether given by piggyback or through a metered-dose infusion set, may be incompatible with an existing continuous IV infusion. 2009, Diane S. Aschenbrenner, Samantha J. Venable, Drug Therapy in Nursing, page 34:
   • Piggyback medications are given through a port of an existing intravenous site. […] Calculation of the drip rate for piggybacks is the same as any other drip rate. 1989, Alice J. Smith, Dosage and Solutions Calculations: The Dimensional Analysis Way, page 258:

Forms

Deriveds

piggyback tax · piggybacker · piggyback plant · birdyback · fishyback

Relateds

piggyBac · fireman's carry

Synonyms

IVPB

piggyback en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

A corruption of pickaback, itself a corruption of pick-pack, like a pack.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To carry (someone) on the back or shoulders.
2. (transitive) To ride on someone's back or shoulders.
3. (ambitransitive) To attach or append something to another (usually larger) object or event.
   • They tried to piggyback that proposal on the rivers and harbors bill.
   • [...] having crossed the river, the District again became entwined with the London & South Western Railway. In fact, the District would go from East Putney to Wimbledon by piggybacking on to a branch line of that railway, and sometimes overground trains still use the branch as a relief route between Wimbledon and Clapham Common. 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 81:
   • The popular host can’t claim credit for the trade, though. The idea wasn’t his. He piggybacked off another successful investor who had a history of picking winners.
   • Allen Gregory DeLongpre: Pat, I gotta tell you, you did a lot of things right with this lunch―kudos. You got back quickly, you showed initiative, and, best of all, you left plenty of room for improvement. Piggybacking on that last part, the ugly business of the critique. 2011 Allen Gregory, "1 Night in Gottlieb" (season 1, episode 2)
   • But while carrying passengers for recreation is one thing, ferrying bona fide commuters in and out of the UK's third largest city is quite another. Yet that is exactly what Rossendale Borough Council (RBC) wants to do, by piggybacking onto the preserved railway's operations. 2023 March 22, Nick Brodrick, “Back to the future on the East Lancs?”, in RAIL, number 979, page 44:
4. (Internet, transitive) To obtain a wireless internet connection by bringing one's own computer within the range of another's wireless connection without that subscriber's permission or knowledge.
5. (Internet, transitive) To utilize "last-mile" wiring rented from a larger owner ISP by a smaller ISP.
6. (transitive) To transport (a lorry/truck) on a flatbed railway wagon.
   • American railroads are not permitted to operate long-haul road routes, but the I.C.C. decision of 1954 did permit them to solicit trailer business in, say, New York for Chicago provided the trailer was piggybacked in between. 1960 November, David Morgan, “"Piggyback"—U.S. success story”, in Trains Illustrated, page 683:
7. (transitive) To enter a secured area at the same time along with (someone having authorized access); to tailgate.
   • Okay, when someone accesses a door with a card key, anyone additional who comes in with them is piggy-backing on their access, like someone riding piggy-back. Get it?

Forms

Translations (28)

id gendong (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · es llevar al apa (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · pt levar às costas (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · it portare in spalla (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · es llevar a la espalda (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · pl nosić na barana (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · ja おんぶ (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · ceb baba (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · pt levar às cavalitas (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · pl wjechać na plecach innych (to attach or append something to another (usually larger) object or event) · de dranhängen (to attach or append something to another (usually larger) object or event) · fi kantaa reppuselässä (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · de draufpacken (to attach or append something to another (usually larger) object or event) · es llevar al caballito (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · id menggendong (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · ja 負ぶう (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · pl wjeżdżać na plecach innych (to attach or append something to another (usually larger) object or event) · fr found (to attach or append something to another (usually larger) object or event) · pt levar aos ombros (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · de huckepack tragen (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · it portare a cavalcioni (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · es llevar a cuestas (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · ko 업다 (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · de draufsatteln (to attach or append something to another (usually larger) object or event) · vi cõng (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · pl nieść na barana (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · cmn 揹 /背 (to carry someone on the back or shoulders) · mi pīkau (to carry someone on the back or shoulders)