to back water
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To row backwards in order to reverse the forward motion of a boat in rowing; hence, to go easy, to retrace one's steps, to retract.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to back water” mean?
To row backwards in order to reverse the forward motion of a boat in rowing; hence, to go easy, to retrace one's steps, to retract.
Is “to back water” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.