backbeat

[ bak-beet ]

/ ˈbækˌbit /

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noun Popular Music.

a secondary or supplementary beat, as by a jazz drummer.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of backbeat

back¹ + beat

Words nearby backbeat

back away, back bacon, backband, backbar, Back Bay, backbeat, back bench, backbencher, backbend, backbite, backblocks

How to use backbeat in a sentence

Because time marches to its own backbeat, many riot grrrls are now riot moms, raising new generations of kids who have to invent their own rebellion.
Moxie Invokes Fierce, Riot Grrrl Spirit, Only to End in a Noncommittal Group Hug|Stephanie Zacharek|March 3, 2021|Time
When he opened his mouth, out came that familiar soft-spoken voice with the slightly jazzy cadence—dry ice with a backbeat.
Spending a Day With Peter O’Toole|Malcolm Jones|December 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Backbeat follows the early days of the Beatles in Germany and focuses on Stuart Sutcliffe and John Lennon.
11 On-Screen Portrayals of the Beatles|Sujay Kumar|October 7, 2010|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for backbeat

backbeat

/ (ˈbækˌbiːt) /

noun

music the second and fourth beats of a bar written in even time or, in more complex time signatures, the last beat of the barCompare downbeat (def. 1), upbeat (def. 1)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012