Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

nickelback

/ˈnɪkəlbæk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.63 in modern English

Syllables: nick-el-back
IPA: /ˈnɪkəlbæk/

24

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A fifth defensive back (in addition to two cornerbacks and two safeties) who is deployed for additional pass coverage.

noun

Alternative form of Nickelback.

noun

A peptide with a nitrogen backbone containing two nickel atoms and having 13 amino acids.

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.

Inflected Forms

nickelbacks (plural) nickel back (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

dimeback quarterback

Questions

How do you pronounce nickelback?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈnɪkəlbæk/.
What does nickelback mean?: A fifth defensive back (in addition to two cornerbacks and two safeties) who is deployed for additional pass coverage.
Where does nickelback come from?: 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.

How to pronounce nickelback

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “nickelback”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈnɪkəlbæk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “nickelback”.
Repeat and practice — Say “nickelback” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.