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get one's own back

own
G g

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [ohn]
    • /gɛt wʌnz oʊn bæk/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [ohn]
    • /gɛt wʌnz oʊn bæk/

Definitions of get one's own back words

  • adjective get one's own back of, relating to, or belonging to oneself or itself (usually used after a possessive to emphasize the idea of ownership, interest, or relation conveyed by the possessive): He spent only his own money. 1
  • adjective get one's own back (used as an intensifier to indicate oneself as the sole agent of some activity or action, preceded by a possessive): He insists on being his own doctor. 1
  • verb with object get one's own back to have or hold as one's own; possess: They own several homes. 1
  • verb with object get one's own back to acknowledge or admit: to own a fault. 1
  • verb with object get one's own back to acknowledge as one's own; recognize as having full claim, authority, power, dominion, etc.: He owned his child before the entire assembly. They owned the king as their lord. 1
  • verb with object get one's own back to totally defeat, gain control over, or dominate in a competition: I totally owned the last two levels of the game. He owned the season from beginning to end and took the world title. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of get one's own back

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; (adj.) Middle English owen, Old English āgen (cognate with German eigen, Old Norse eigenn), orig. past participle of āgan to possess (see owe); (v.) Middle English ownen, Old English āgnian, āhnian, derivative of āgen

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Get one's own back

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

get one's own back popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

See also

Matching words

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