nickelback

noun — 2 senses

Nickelback

nounalso spelled Nickelback

Etymology From nickel + back. From having nickel atoms on the backbone structure.

1

Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A peptide with a nitrogen backbone containing two nickel atoms and having 13 amino acids.

nickelback

noun

/ˈnɪkəlbæk/

Etymology Blend of nickel + cornerback. Modelled on quarterback: both the quarter (“25 cents”) and the nickel (“5 cents”) are American coins, though quarterback was not named for the coin. Coined due to the nickelback's role as the fifth defensive back on the field, thus the connection to the 5-cent nickel.

1

American football, Ball games, Football, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A fifth defensive back (in addition to two cornerbacks and two safeties) who is deployed for additional pass coverage.

Related terms
dimeback, quarterback

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for Nickelback and nickelback.