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back-burner

back-burn·er
B b

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [bak bur-ner]
    • /bæk ˈbɜr nər/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [bak bur-ner]
    • /bæk ˈbɜr nər/

Definitions of back-burner word

  • noun back-burner a condition of low priority or temporary deferment (usually used in the phrase on the back burner): Put other issues on the back burner until after the election. 1
  • adjective back-burner (Idiomatic) Having low urgency; not currently important. 0

Information block about the term

Origin of back-burner

First appearance:

before 1945
One of the 6% newest English words
First recorded in 1945-50; from the custom in cooking of placing pots not requiring immediate attention toward the rear of the stove

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Back-burner

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

back-burner popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 39% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
According to our data about 61% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

Synonyms for back-burner

noun back-burner

  • abeyance — a state of being suspended or put aside temporarily
  • cold storage — If something such as food is put in cold storage, it is kept in an artificially-cooled place in order to preserve it.
  • limbo — (often initial capital letter) Roman Catholic Theology. a region on the border of hell or heaven, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants (limbo of infants) and of the righteous who died before the coming of Christ (limbo of the fathers or limbo of the patriarchs)
  • suspension — the act of suspending.

Antonyms for back-burner

noun back-burner

  • front burner — Informal. a condition or position of top priority: Put the project on the front burner and finish it as soon as possible.

See also

Matching words

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