Definitions

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

  • noun The back of a horse.
  • noun A natural ridge; a hogback.
  • adverb & adjective On the back of a horse.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • On the back of a horse: as, to ride horseback. See horseback, n., 1.
  • noun The back of a horse, particularly that part of the back on which the rider sits: used generally in the phrase on horseback, often abbreviated to horseback, and used adverbially.
  • noun A low and somewhat sharp ridge of sand or gravel; also, but not generally, a ridge of rock which rises for a short distance with a sharp edge: a common term in New England, especially in Maine. Also called hogback, hog's-back, and boar's-back. Such ridges are called by Scotch geologists kames, by the Irish eskars.

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

  • noun The back of a horse.
  • noun An extended ridge of sand, gravel, and boulders, in a half-stratified condition.
  • noun on the back of a horse; mounted or riding on a horse or horses; in the saddle.

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

  • noun The back of a horse.
  • noun A ridge of sand, gravel, and boulders.
  • adverb On the back of a horse.

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

  • adverb on the back of a horse
  • noun the back of a horse
  • noun a narrow ridge of hills

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word horseback.

Examples

  • There was nothing highfalutin about her company manners -- it was by this homely phrase that he differentiated this Dede on horseback from the Dede with the office manners whom he had always known.

    Chapter XII 2010

  • Today, in Santander, where I just visited, the final statue of Franco on horseback is being taken down.

    Breakfast in Bed desayunoencama 2008

  • Tinker's Horsefeathers Lodge specializes in horseback hunts for prairie grouse and pheasants.

    The Six Best (Wild) Bird Hunting Lodges in North America 2005

  • My daughter's interest in horseback riding came naturally.

    My Life As An Escaramuza Mom 2004

  • Discovering the park on horseback is also an option.

    Off the beaten path: Lagos de Montebello. Chiapas 2001

  • Discovering the park on horseback is also an option.

    Off the beaten path: Lagos de Montebello. Chiapas 2001

  • She could envision his ancestors, wrapped in wolf skins and beaten metal corselets, descending on horseback from the Chinese steppes, snowy wind at their backs, to raid the villages of the plains.

    The Miko Lustbader, Eric 1984

  • There was nothing highfalutin about her company manners -- it was by this homely phrase that he differentiated this Dede on horseback from the Dede with the office manners whom he had always known.

    Chapter XII 1910

  • The central figure on horseback is General Blenker.

    Torchlight Procession at Washington. 1861

  • The leaders had no difficulty; but when the reckless crowd arrived – for a Persian on horseback is thoroughly reckless – every one pressing forward, despite of kicking and fighting horses, the confusion and uproar may be imagined.

    Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia 1856

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.