backlog
backlog Lexical Profile
backlog Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An accumulation of uncompleted work, unfilled orders, or unresolved matters waiting to be dealt with.
"The postal service hired temporary staff to clear the massive backlog of holiday deliveries."
North American A large log placed at the back of an open hearth to sustain the fire and radiate heat.
"He positioned a heavy oak backlog against the rear bricks of the fireplace before kindling the smaller twigs."
• verb
To accumulate or cause to accumulate as a reserve of uncompleted work or unfilled orders.
"Supply chain disruptions have backlogged customer orders for several months."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in late 17th-century American English from 'back' + 'log', originally referring to a large log placed at the back of a hearth to keep the fire burning and concentrate heat; the figurative sense of an accumulation of reserves or uncompleted work developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.