backtrack

See also: back-track

English

Etymology

back +‎ track

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbæk.tɹæk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

backtrack (plural backtracks)

1. the act of backtracking

Translations

the act of backtracking

• Bulgarian: отстъпка (bg) (otstǎpka)
• Finnish: paluu (fi), peruutus (fi)
• Greek: οπισθοδρόμηση (el) f (opisthodrómisi)
• Italian: retrocessione (it) f
• Polish: cofanie się n
• Spanish: retroceso (es) m

Verb

backtrack (third-person singular simple present backtracks, present participle backtracking, simple past and past participle backtracked)

1. To retrace one's steps.

   I dropped my sunglasses and had to backtrack to find them.

2. To repeat or review work already done.

   If we backtrack through this problem, maybe we can figure out where we went wrong.

3. (aviation) To taxi down an active runway in the opposite direction to that being used for takeoff.

   Speedbird One: enter and backtrack Runway 27 Left.

4. To exercise a racehorse around the racetrack in the opposite direction to that in which races are run.

Derived terms

• backtracker
• backtracking (noun)

Translations

retracing one's steps

• Bulgarian: връщам се (vrǎštam se), отстъпвам (bg) (otstǎpvam)
• Danish: gå tilbage
• Finnish: palata (fi), palata samaa tietä, mennä takaisin
• French: retourner sur ses pas (fr), revenir sur ses pas (fr)
• Italian: arretrare (it), retrocedere (it)
• Occitan: tornar sul rèire-pè
• Polish: cofać się impf, wycofać się pf
• Russian: отходи́ть (ru) (otxodítʹ), отступа́ть (ru) (otstupátʹ)
• Spanish: retroceder (es)
• Swedish: gå tillbaka

reviewing previous work

• Finnish: käydä läpi
• Italian: analizzare (it), ripassare (it), rivedere (it)
• Polish: robić ponownie impf
• Spanish: repasar (es)

taxiing the opposite way down a runway

• Finnish: rullata takaisinpäin
• Italian: parcheggiare contropista
• Polish: kołować wstecz impf

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