at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time; "early morning"; "an early warning"; "early diagnosis"; "an early death"; "took early retirement"; "an early spring"; "early varieties of peas and tomatoes mature before most standard varieties"
being or occurring at an early stage of development; "in an early stage"; "early forms of life"; "early man"; "an early computer"
of an early stage in the development of a language or literature; "the Early Hebrew alphabetical script is that used mainly from the 11th to the 6th centuries B.C."; "Early Modern English is represented in documents printed from 1476 to 1700"
very young; "at an early age"
expected in the near future; "look for an early end to the negotiations"
before the usual time or the time expected; "she graduated early"; "the house was completed ahead of time"
the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage
a support that you can lean against while sitting; "the back of the dental chair was adjustable"
the part of a garment that covers the back of your body; "they pinned a `kick me' sign on his back"
the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine; "his back was nicely tanned"
the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer; "he stood at the back of the stage"; "it was hidden in the rear of the store"
(football) a person who plays in the backfield
in or to or toward a past time; "set the clocks back an hour"; "never look back"; "lovers of the past looking fondly backward"
at or to or toward the back or rear; "he moved back"; "tripped when he stepped backward"; "she looked rearward out the window of the car"
in repayment or retaliation; "we paid back everything we had borrowed"; "he hit me and I hit him back"; "I was kept in after school for talking back to the teacher"
in or to or toward a former location; "she went back to her parents' house"
in or to or toward an original condition; "he went back to sleep"
in answer; "he wrote back three days later"; "had little to say in reply to the questions"
strengthen by providing with a back or backing
establish as valid or genuine; "Can you back up your claims?"
shift to a counterclockwise direction; "the wind backed"
travel backward; "back into the driveway"; "The car backed up and hit the tree"
cause to travel backward; "back the car into the parking spot"
support financial backing for; "back this enterprise"
be behind; approve of; "He plumped for the Labor Party"; "I backed Kennedy in 1960"