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background

 
Dictionary: back·ground   (băk'ground') pronunciation
 
n.
  1. The ground or scenery located behind something.
    1. The part of a pictorial representation that appears to be in the distance and that provides relief for the principal objects in the foreground.
    2. The general scene or surface against which designs, patterns, or figures are represented or viewed.
  2. A position or area of relative inconspicuousness or unimportance.
  3. The circumstances and events surrounding or leading up to an event or occurrence.
  4. A person's experience, training, and education: Her background in the arts is impressive.
  5. Subdued music played especially as an accompaniment to dialogue in a dramatic performance.
    1. Sound that intrudes on or interferes with an audio recording.
    2. Low-level radiation, as from radioactive decay, that exists as part of the natural environment.
idioms:

on background

  1. For publication but without specific attribution of the source: The Senator would only speak on background with the reporter about the crisis.
on deep background
  1. For publication without any attribution of the source.

background back'ground' v.
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(1) The non-interactive processing in the computer. See foreground/background.

(2) The base, or backdrop color. In order to distinguish any image on screen, whether text or graphics, there must be a contrasting background color.

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Marketing Dictionary: background
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1. Anything used to support the message of a radio or television commercial or print advertisement-for example, sound effects, music, location, special scenery, or colors. These elements are used for a realistic effect and add to the emotional appeal of an advertisement or commercial. The background (abbreviated BG) also provides a subliminal message about the user of the product. For example: in an automobile advertisement where the car is displayed with prominence against a background of young people at a high school football game, there is the subliminal message that the car is for young people who want to have a good time; or for older people who want to feel young. Similarly, a soft-drink commercial where the canned beverage is passed from hand to hand at a local town parade featuring happy, smiling people conveys the subliminal message that everyone who drinks this beverage will be happy.

2. Compilation of facts, figures, and past experience upon which decisions for future advertising and marketing are made.

 
Thesaurus: background
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noun

    Past events surrounding a person or thing: history, past. See happen.

 
Antonyms: background
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n

Definition: circumstances
Antonyms: future


 
Hacker Slang: background
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[common] To do a task in background is to do it whenever foreground matters are not claiming your undivided attention, and to background something means to relegate it to a lower priority. “For now, we'll just print a list of nodes and links; I'm working on the graph-printing problem in background.” Note that this implies ongoing activity but at a reduced level or in spare time, in contrast to mainstream ‘back burner’ (which connotes benign neglect until some future resumption of activity). Some people prefer to use the term for processing that they have queued up for their unconscious minds (a tack that one can often fruitfully take upon encountering an obstacle in creative work). Compare amp off, slopsucker.

Technically, a task running in background is detached from the terminal where it was started (and often running at a lower priority); oppose foreground. Nowadays this term is primarily associated with Unix, but it appears to have been first used in this sense on OS/360.


 
Word Tutor: background
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: n.- The set of influences and environment such as training, education or experience affecting an individual's personality.

pronunciation We should not and cannot change all our differences. Each of us brings from our own background things which we should share. There is good in diversity. — Georgie Anne Geyer, Source: Newspaper clipping, Albert W. Daw Collection

 
Translations: Background
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - baggrund

idioms:

  • background job    jobrutine, som afvikles i baggrunden, baggrundskørsel
  • background operation    jobrutine, som afvikles i baggrunden, baggrundskørsel
  • background processing    baggrundsprocessering

Nederlands (Dutch)
achtergrond, achterplan, landschap, verleden

Français (French)
n. - fond, arrière-plan, arrière-plans, arrière-corps, origines, formation, éducation, antécédents, contexte historique, données de base

idioms:

  • background job    (Comput) tâche d'arrière-plan
  • background operation    (Comput) opération d'arrière-plan
  • background processing    (Comput) traitement d'arrière-plan

Deutsch (German)
n. - Hintergrund, Vergangenheit

idioms:

  • background job    Hintergrundauftrag
  • background operation    Hintergrundauftrag
  • background processing    Hintergrundbearbeitung

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - φόντο, πλαίσιο, (μτφ.) καταγωγή, ιστορικό, παρασκήνιο, ιστορικό πλαίσιο, υποδομή, κατάρτιση

idioms:

  • background job    (Η/Υ) εργασία που εκτελείται στο παρασκήνιο
  • background operation    (Η/Υ) λειτουργία παρασκηνίου
  • background processing    (Η/Υ) επεξεργασία παρασκηνίου

Italiano (Italian)
retroterra, panorama, sfondo, antecedenti

Português (Portuguese)
n. - fundo (m), experiência (f), motivo (m), fundo (m) musical, antecedentes (m pl), cenário (m)

Русский (Russian)
фон, профессиональная подготовка, происхождение

Español (Spanish)
n. - fondo, antecedentes, pasado, trasfondo

idioms:

  • background job    rutina secundaria del ordenador que corre simultáneamente con otras
  • background operation    rutina secundaria del ordenador que corre simultáneamente con otras
  • background processing    procesamiento de rutina secundaria

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - bakgrund

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
背景

idioms:

  • background job    后台工作
  • background operation    后台操作, 后台业务
  • background processing    背景处理

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 背景

idioms:

  • background job    後台工作
  • background operation    後台操作, 後台業務
  • background processing    背景處理

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 배경, 이면, 경력,경험

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 背景, 遠因, 地, 経歴

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الخلفيه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮רקע, עמדה מעורפלת, מידע המציג נושא‬


 
Best of the Web: background
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Some good "background" pages on the web:


New Words
www.wordspy.com
 

American Sign Language
commtechlab.msu.edu
 
 
 

 

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. THIS COPYRIGHTED DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.
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Marketing Dictionary. Dictionary of Marketing Terms. Copyright © 2000 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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