backspin
|back-spin|
/ˈbækspɪn/
backward rotation (reverse spin)
Etymology
'backspin' originates from Modern English, specifically formed by compounding 'back' and 'spin', where 'back' meant 'toward the rear' and 'spin' meant 'to rotate'.
'back' traces to Old English 'bæc' meaning 'rear, back', and 'spin' traces to Old English 'spinnan' (from Proto-Germanic roots meaning 'to spin'); the compound 'backspin' developed in modern English as sports terminology in the 19th–20th centuries.
Initially a straightforward compound meaning 'a spin toward the back' or 'reverse spin'; over time it became specialized in sporting contexts to mean the specific backward rotation imparted to balls and related effects (e.g., causing a ball to stop or bounce back).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a backward rotation given to a ball (or similar object) so that it rotates opposite the direction of travel, often causing the ball to slow, stop, or bounce back on contact; commonly used in sports such as tennis, table tennis, golf, and baseball.
The player put heavy backspin on the serve, making it skid low on the bounce.
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Noun 2
in mechanics/physics contexts, the state of rotation of an object in which the angular velocity is such that surface points move opposite to the object's forward motion (i.e., reverse spin).
The backspin on the propeller produces a different airflow pattern than forward spin.
Verb 1
to give a ball a backward rotation; to apply backspin to a ball.
She backspun the chip shot so the ball rolled back toward the hole.
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Last updated: 2025/12/27 13:17