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backdam

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backdam

  • /ˈbækdæm/ UK
  • /ˈbækˌdæm/ US

Where it comes from

From back + dam. Sense 2 (“region of rural, undeveloped land”) is possibly a transferred use in Guyana of the term originally referring to a dam built on the side of coastal agricultural land furthest from the sea to prevent swamp water from flowing into the land, to mean the region in the vicinity of the dam.

noun backdams

  1. A dam that lies to the rear of something. Two side dams are likewise thrown up, and extend as far as the cultivation, where they join a back dam; so that an estate is a complete island within itself, and dammed on all sides.

    Opposite: foredam

  2. Guyana A region of rural, undeveloped land, especially on the outskirts of a farm. The cows are kept in stables erected in small yards, and are fed with concentrates and cut grass, obtained from the back[-]dams of estates.

Translations

Every language

noun region of rural, undeveloped land, especially on the outskirts of a farm

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MLA

"backdam." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/backdam. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

backdam. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/backdam

Chicago

"backdam." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/backdam.

BibTeX
@misc{backdam_2026,
  title = {backdam},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/backdam},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}