Meanings
nickelback1
plural nickelbacks · alternative nickel back
- American footballA fifth defensive back (in addition to two cornerbacks and two safeties) who is deployed for additional pass coverage.
nickelback2
Nickelback3
plural Nickelbacks
- biochemistryA peptide with a nitrogen backbone containing two nickel atoms and having 13 amino acids.
Origin
nickelback · noun
Blend of nickel + cornerback. Modelled on quarterback: both the quarter (“25 cents”) and the nickel (“5 cents”) are American coins, though quarterback was not named for the coin. Coined due to the nickelback's role as the fifth defensive back on the field, thus the connection to the 5-cent nickel.
Full word history & related roots →Nickelback · noun
From nickel + back. From having nickel atoms on the backbone structure.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
nickelback. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nickelback
“nickelback.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nickelback. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nickelback,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nickelback.
Source: nickelback on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.