One way to picture it: something placed behind another thing to hold it up. You never see it from the front — but take it away and the front collapses or sounds thin.

貼在後面、撐住前面那個東西。你從正面看不到它——地毯的襯底、畫框後面那塊板子——但把它抽掉,前面就垮了、皺了、或聽起來很單薄。backing 就是 back(背面)加上 -ing 變成的名詞,整個字的重點一直是「在後面撐著」這個位置關係,而不是它本身是什麼材料。這個畫面之所以好用,是因為它同時解釋了三種很不一樣的東西:一塊布、一筆錢、一段音樂,共通點都是「在後面,讓前面站得住」。

From the word’s history

Simply back + -ing: the thing that backs something. Every modern sense is still literally “what is behind, holding it up”.

就是 back(背面、背後)加上 -ing 造出來的名詞,字面意思是「當背面的那個東西」。這裡不需要繞遠路:現代所有用法都還完全貼著這個字面,只是「後面」有時是實體的後面,有時是財力上的後面,有時是聲音層次的後面。

Wiktionary: backing — from back + -ing.

登入就可以看每一支怎麼連回核心畫面。

原始詞典資料8 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法,摘錄並精簡格式,我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的;有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

backingnoun/ˈbæk.ɪŋ(ɡ)/

  • 1

    Support, especially financial.

    • It's a volunteer organization that works with backing from the city and a few grants.
  • 2

    A liner or other material added behind or underneath.

    • The cardboard backing gives the notebook a little extra stiffness.
    • An old print was discovered some time ago in an arch at Waterloo Dock Goods Station[,] Liverpool, in use as a backing on which to write time sheets.
  • 3

    broadcastingfilmmediaA backdrop.

    • The simplest and cheapest answer is to introduce a scenic backing of some kind, a backdrop, a drape, some flats to restrict the shot and obscure whatever is outside.
  • 4

    entertainmentlifestylemusicMusicians and vocalists who support the main performer.

  • 5

    The mounting of a horse or other animal.

  • 6

    The action of putting something back; a switching into reverse.

backingadj/ˈbæk.ɪŋ(ɡ)/

  • 1

    entertainmentlifestylemusicProviding support for the main performer.

這個拼法也被記錄為下列字的變化形:

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary,已精簡格式;依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用,改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。