to the back
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To the backbone, entirely. To turn one's back on another. To leave, forsake, or neglect one. To leave him by going away.
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 the back” mean?
To the backbone, entirely. To turn one's back on another. To leave, forsake, or neglect one. To leave him by going away.
Is “to the back” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.