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switch·back

(swĭchbăk′)

a. A sharp bend in a road or trail on a steep incline.

b. A point on a mountain railway where trains reverse direction to continue obliquely up or down a slope without turning.

c. A road, trail, or railway that has such bends or points in it.

d. A section of such a road, trail, or railroad, extending in a nearly opposite direction to the section coming before or after it.

2. Chiefly British A roller coaster.

intr.v. switch·backed, switch·back·ing, switch·backs

To proceed in sharp turns in alternating directions on a steep incline: the trail switchbacked up the mountain; the hikers switchbacked up the hill.

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switchback

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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