Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A swimming stroke performed on one's back, especially one using alternating overarm strokes and a flutter kick.
  • noun A race or a leg of a race in which this stroke is swum.
  • noun A backhanded stroke or motion.
  • noun A stroke or motion in the direction of an original starting point.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A blow or stroke in return.
  • noun A backhanded stroke; a back-hander.
  • noun In telegraphy, the return-stroke of the lever in a telegraph-sounder.
  • noun Diastolic impulse of the heart, a faint beat occurring as the blood enters the ventricles.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun a swimming stroke that resembles the crawl except the swimmer lies on his or her back. It is usually executed with backward-moving circular arm strokes and a flutter kick.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A swimming stroke swum lying on one's back, while rotating both arms through the water as to propel the swimmer backwards.
  • noun The pull on the tail of the rope that swings the bell through a full circle (compare handstroke)
  • verb To swim the backstroke.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb swim on one's back
  • noun a swimming stroke that resembles the crawl except the swimmer lies on his or her back

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

back +‎ stroke

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Examples

  • "It's a good confidence booster to know that the backstroke is there," Phelps said.

    Phelps wins three events, eyes US Trials 2008

  • In each, Ogawa deploys an precise style that maintains an eerie distance between the narrator and event, her words clinical and charged with meaning, always leading with a slow build that concludes with a twist – although backstroke is probably more apt.

    Yoko Ogawa 2008

  • In each, Ogawa deploys an precise style that maintains an eerie distance between the narrator and event, her words clinical and charged with meaning, always leading with a slow build that concludes with a twist – although backstroke is probably more apt.

    Vitro Nasu » 2008 » September 2008

  • The performances churned chatter about the Spitz standard, and Thorpe fed it by testing himself in backstroke and IM events.

    USATODAY.com - Phelps vs. Thorpe has big buildup 2004

  • Lenny Krayzelburg, the American who holds the world record of 24.99 in the 50 backstroke, is recovering from shoulder surgery and is not competing.

    USATODAY.com - Crocker sets world record in 100-meter butterfly 2003

  • I trusted she knew what she was doing even when she weaved between the couples doing what I could only call the backstroke, but out of water.

    Archive 2006-10-01 Jay 2006

  • His time of 1 minute, 1.52 seconds in the backstroke was a state qualifying mark.

    The Bellingham Herald: Sports News 2010

  • "The backstroke is my best stroke, but the 100-yard isn't my best event," said Dempsey, who also finished 10th in the 200 individual medley (in 1: 58.53) at state this year.

    OnlineAthens: Top Headlines 2010

  • Wyomissing sophomore Katie Duggan is eighth in the 100 backstroke, which is where she finished last year.

    Berks county news 2009

  • Her time in the backstroke was a new state-qualifying mark.

    The Bellingham Herald: Sports News 2009

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