noun
1. a secondary or inferior position or status
-
tennis has had to take a backseat while his work is so demanding
• Hypernyms: ↑inferiority, ↑lower status, ↑lower rank
2. a seat at the back of a vehicle (especially the seat at the back of an automobile)
• Topics: ↑car, ↑auto, ↑automobile, ↑machine, ↑motorcar
• Hypernyms: ↑seat
• Hyponyms: ↑dickey, ↑dickie, ↑dicky, ↑dickey-seat, ↑dickie-seat, ↑dicky-seat
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\\ˈ ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷\ noun : a secondary, inferior, or inconspicuous position or status in relation to the position or status of something else — usually used in the phrase take a backseat
the poems were first-rate, but the comments didn't have to take a backseat — Harvey Breit
foreign requirements for new freight cars will have to take a backseat to domestic needs — Journal of Commerce
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/bak"seet"/, n.
1. a seat at the rear.
2. take a backseat, to occupy a secondary or inferior position: Her writing has taken a backseat because of other demands on her time.
[1825-35]
Useful english dictionary. 2012.