backspace
backspace Lexical Profile
backspace Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A key on a computer or typewriter keyboard that moves the cursor or carriage backward one position and, on a computer, deletes the preceding character.
"She hit the backspace several times to fix the spelling mistake in her password."
• verb
To move the cursor or typewriter carriage backward one or more spaces, especially in order to erase typed characters.
"He quickly backspaced over the awkward sentence and rewrote the opening paragraph."
Word Nuance & Usage
On modern computer keyboards, pressing the backspace key deletes the character immediately to the left of the cursor, whereas the delete key typically removes the character to the right of the cursor.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 19th century during the early development of mechanical typewriters, combining 'back' and 'space' to describe the mechanism that moved the carriage one space in reverse.