backscratch
To scratch one's or another's back.
Definitions
To scratch one's or another's back.
He enjoyed being hugged, backscratched, and tickled and sat quietly next to the examiner after testing while a parental interview was conducted.
“【5/5 当店ポイント10倍】検定用品 ラップ バックスクラッチャーズ BACKSCRATCH... 価格: 1,980円”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
A scratch on the back.
Several Colorado papers have reproduced the substance of our articles on silver, and we thank them for their backscratches.
"backscratch" means: A scratch on the back.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"backscratch" means: A scratch on the back.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Comments
(business, politics, slang) To engage in a reciprocal beneficial action.
So it is to the mutual advantage of social primates to backscratch for each other.
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Semantically related
- scratch75%
To rub a surface with a sharp object, especially by a living creature to remove itching with nails, claws, etc.
- scratchback75%
(UK, dated) A toy which imitates the sound of tearing cloth, used by drawing it across the back of unsuspecting persons.
- scratching75%
The act or sound of something being scratched.