Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To move an onscreen cursor one character to the left, typically deleting the character that is there, by pressing the backspace key.
- intransitive verb To move a typewriter carriage back one space by striking the backspace key.
- noun The backspace key.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb In typing text, to press the backspace key so as to reposition the carriage or cursor on the previous space.
- noun The key on a typewriter or other keyboard used for back spacing.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The
key on atypewriter that moves thehead oneposition backwards . - noun computing A
keyboard key used forremoving acharacter behind thecursor , and moving the cursor one position backwards. - verb computing To remove a character behind a cursor.
- verb computing To move a
magnetic tape to aprevious block .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the typewriter key used for back spacing
- verb hit the backspace key on a computer or typewriter keyboard
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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* backspace, backspace* wait ... where the hell did i think was?
vampishone Diary Entry vampishone 2002
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The backspace is a little funky but every thing else is great.
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FYI, if you weren't alive during the era of IBM Selectric typewriters, the "backspace" pad was the equivalent of today's "delete" key, and some might say the group just took a big step backwards with this 37-minute retro-trip.
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Fuse, lately when I try to post, if I accidently push the "backspace" button, which I do often, it whisks me back to a previous page.
Review of the Day: The New Policeman fusenumber8 2007
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Heliarchon had been forced to turn researchers to discover anything about this Terra, were done he knew little more than when he'd known Some kind of backspace garbage heap bat-ely out of the Age.
In Alien Hands Shatner, William 1997
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Re: Backspace key to revert to previous browser screen about: config Click "I'll be careful" and then type "backspace" into the box (no quotes).
Ubuntu Forums mtonsbeek 2010
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The keyboard is rather smaller than we would have liked, and it took a fair bit of getting used to before we could knock out emails without constantly referencing the 'backspace' key.
Digital-Lifestyles 2009
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In any Gecko based browser (Camino, Firefox, etc.) open about: config and in the search field type "backspace".
unknown title 2009
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The post is a variation of an old joke I've seen on Slashdot where someone will say something controversial, "backspace," and then put something innocuous in its stead
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The keyboard is rather smaller than we would have liked, and it took a fair bit of getting used to before we could knock out emails without constantly referencing the 'backspace' key.
Digital-Lifestyles 2009
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