barback

B3A1R1B3A1C3K5

noun

An assistant to a bartender.

Similar
runner
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounbarback (plural barbacks)

plural barbacks

  1. An assistant to a bartender.

    Cerda moved to Chicago and worked at a series of bars and clubs: the Orbit Room, the Paradise Club, even a stint at Limelight, where he supplemented his earnings as a barback by performing as Nina Hagen in one of the cages.

    2000 December 1, Jack Helbig, “Reindeer Games”, in Chicago Reader

    Synonyms: runner

verbbarback (third-person singular simple present barbacks, present participle barbacking, simple past and past participle barbacked)

present singular third person barbacks · participle present barbacking · participle past barbacked · past barbacked

  1. intransitiveTo work as a barback.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn assistant to a bartender.

Similar
runner

Origin

From bar + back, due to working in the back area of the bar and not interacting with the patrons. Compare back of house and back office.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

backbar
Cite this entry
APA

barback. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barback

MLA

“barback.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barback. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “barback,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barback.

Source: barback on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.