Backlog Meaning
/ˈbæk(ˌ)lɔɡ/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA large log to burn at the back of a fire.
nounA reserve source or supply.
Sentence Examples
Thanks to you, the backlog of tedious work has been completed.
I've a lot of backlog of work.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Due to the strike, there is a huge ____ of orders waiting to be shipped.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company has a large ____ of orders that need to be finished.
Word Origin & History
From back + log. 1680s; originally a large log at the back of a fire. Figurative sense from 1880s, meaning "something stored up for later use". Possibly influenced by logbook as well.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"While she was preparing my breakfast, I chopped off a backlog and put it on the fire,[…]"
— 1830, Joseph Plumb Martin, “Ch. V”, in A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier:
"He threw it on the fire for a back-log, first scraping the live coals and ashes to a heap for his damper."
— 1902, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Bush Studies (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 31:
"With much of the building unrenovated since it was built in the 19th century, there is a significant backlog of repairs estimated to be in excess of £1bn."
— 2020 November 18, Mike Brown tells Paul Stephen, “I wasn't going to let the Mayor down”, in Rail, page 45:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Due to the strike, there is a huge ____ of orders waiting to be shipped.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company has a large ____ of orders that need to be finished.