backoff
|back-off|
🇺🇸
/ˈbækˌɔf/
🇬🇧
/ˈbækˌɒf/
(back off)
withdraw / step back; reduce pressure
Etymology
'back off' originates from English, specifically the combination of 'back' and 'off', where 'back' traces to Old English 'bæc' meaning 'back' and 'off' traces to Old English 'of' meaning 'away'.
'back' developed from Old English 'bæc' and 'off' from Old English 'of'; the verb phrase 'back off' appeared in later English to describe moving backward or away and was extended to figurative senses in Modern English. The fused noun form 'backoff' arose later in technical and informal usage.
Initially, it meant 'to move backward or away physically', but over time it evolved into its current meanings of 'to withdraw or reduce pressure' and, in technical contexts, 'a delay strategy to reduce contention'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a retreat or withdrawal from a position or demand; a reduction in intensity, scope, or pressure.
After heated talks there was a clear backoff from the initial demands.
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Noun 2
in computing and communications, a delay or waiting strategy (backoff algorithm) used to reduce collisions or repeated retries by spacing attempts farther apart.
The network uses an exponential backoff to avoid repeated packet collisions.
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Verb 1
to move back or away; to retreat physically.
The protesters refused to backoff despite police warnings.
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Last updated: 2025/12/26 18:50