PIGGYBACK


Meaning of PIGGYBACK in English

I. ˈpi-gē-ˌbak adverb

also pick·a·back ˈpi-gē-, ˈpi-kə-

Etymology: alteration of earlier a pick pack, of unknown origin

Date: 1565

1. : up on the back and shoulders

2. : on or as if on the back of another ; especially : on a railroad flatcar

II. noun

also pickaback

Date: circa 1590

1. : the act of carrying piggyback

2. : the movement of loaded truck trailers on railroad flatcars

III. adjective

also pickaback

Date: 1823

1. : marked by being up on the shoulders and back

a child needs hugging, tussling, and piggyback rides — Benjamin Spock

2. : carried or transported piggyback: as

a. : of or relating to the hauling of truck trailers on railroad flatcars

b. : being or relating to something carried into space as an extra load by a vehicle (as a spacecraft)

IV. verb

also pickaback

Date: 1952

transitive verb

1. : to carry up on the shoulders and back

2. : to haul (as a truck trailer) by railroad car

3. : to set up or cause to function in conjunction with something larger, more important, or already in existence or operation

intransitive verb

: to function or be carried on or as if on the back of another

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.