Meanings
adverb
Origin
Seemingly conflated with the phrase the shirt off one's back.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
off one's own back. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20one's%20own%20back
MLA
“off one's own back.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20one's%20own%20back. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “off one's own back,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20one's%20own%20back.
Source: off one's own back on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.