horseback

H4O1R1S1E1B3A1C3K5
US/ˈhɔɹsˌbæk/UK/ˈhɔːsˌbæk/

noun

The back of a horse.

“They came on horseback across the plains.”

Similar
eskerahorseahorsebackon horsebackhogback
OriginMiddle English horsebacke →
Less commonScrabble 20
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Meanings

nounhorseback (countable and uncountable, plural horsebacks)

plural horsebacks

  1. countableuncountableusuallywith onuponThe back of a horse.

    They came on horseback across the plains.

  2. countableA ridge of sand, gravel, and boulders.

    Synonyms: esker

adverbhorseback (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOn the back of a horse.

    Synonyms: ahorse, ahorseback, on horseback

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA ridge of sand, gravel, and boulders.

Similar
esker

adverbOn the back of a horse.

Similar
ahorseahorsebackon horseback

More synonyms by meaning

nouna narrow ridge of hills

Similar
hogback
Broader
ridgeridgeline

adverbon the back of a horse

Similar
ahorseahorseback
Also see
ahorseahorsebackhogbackon horseback

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishhorsebacke
  2. Englishhorseback

From Middle English horsebacke, horsebak, horsbak, equivalent to horse + back.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἐπι ἵππου
  • ἐπι ἵππου (epi híppou)on the back of a horse
Bulgarian гребен, на кон
  • гребен (greben)ridge of sand, gravel, and boulders
  • на кон (na kon)on the back of a horse
Chinese Mandarin 馬背 /马背, 馬上 /马上
  • 馬背 /马背 (mǎbèi)back of a horse
  • 馬上 /马上 (mǎshàng)on the back of a horse
Finnish hevosen selkä, harju
  • hevosen selkäback of a horse
  • harjuridge of sand, gravel, and boulders
  • ratsainon the back of a horse
French à cheval
  • à chevalon the back of a horse
German Pferderücken, zu Pferde
  • Pferderückenback of a horse
  • zu Pferdeon the back of a horse
Greek καβάλα, καβαλαρία
  • καβάλα (kavála)on the back of a horse
  • καβαλαρία (kavalaría)on the back of a horse
Hungarian lóhát
  • lóhátback of a horse
Icelandic hestbak
  • hestbakback of a horse
Irish ar chapall, ar dhroim capaill
  • ar chapallon the back of a horse
  • ar dhroim capaillon the back of a horse
  • ar muin capaillon the back of a horse
Italian a cavallo
  • a cavalloon the back of a horse
Japanese 馬の背, 馬に乗って
  • 馬の背 (uma no se)back of a horse
  • 馬に乗って (uma ni notte)on the back of a horse
Latin in equō
  • in equōon the back of a horse
Norwegian hesterygg
  • hesteryggback of a horse
Portuguese a cavalo
  • a cavaloon the back of a horse
Romanian călare
  • călareon the back of a horse
Russian спина́ ло́шади, гре́бень
  • спина́ ло́шади (spiná lóšadi)back of a horse
  • гре́бень (grébenʹ)ridge of sand, gravel, and boulders
  • гряда́ (grjadá)ridge of sand, gravel, and boulders
  • верхо́м (verxóm)on the back of a horse
Spanish a caballo
  • a caballoon the back of a horse

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

backshore
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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