| n. | 1. | ||||
| 1. | The column of bones in the back which sustains and gives firmness to the frame; the spine; the vertebral or spinal column. | ||||
| 2. | Anything like , or serving the purpose of, a backbone. | ||||
| 3. | Firmness; moral principle; steadfastness.
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| Noun | 1. | backbone - a central cohesive source of support and stability; "faith is his anchor"; "the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on soft money"; "he is the linchpin of this firm" |
| 2. | backbone - fortitude and determination; "he didn't have the guts to try it" | |
| 3. | backbone - the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord; "the fall broke his back" | |
| 4. | backbone - the part of a network that connects other networks together; "the backbone is the part of a communication network that carries the heaviest traffic" |
| (networking) | backbone - The top level in a hierarchical network. Stub networks and transit networks which connect to the same
backbone are guaranteed to be interconnected. See also: Internet backbone. |