backbiter
/ˈbæk.baɪt.ə(ɹ)/
"backbiter" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“backbiter” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person who says nasty things about another person behind the second person's back: that is, out of their sight and hearing.
Corpus desk
Index EN-backbiter · backbiter · English
backbiter · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 9 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "B" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | backbiter |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈbæk.baɪt.ə(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “backbiter” in English
Rare enough to double-check
backbiter is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbæk.baɪt.ə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A person who says nasty things about another person behind the second person's back: that is, out of their sight and hearing.".
Zero misspellings are on record for backbiter in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bakbitere, bakbytere, bacbitere, equivalent to backbite + -er. The correct English form is backbiter, spelled B-A-C-K-B-I-T-E-R.
Definition
- 1A person who says nasty things about another person behind the second person's back: that is, out of their sight and hearing.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how backbiter appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
[…] here were no Gibers, Cenſurers, Backbiters, Pick-pockets, Highwaymen, Houſebreakers, Attorneys, Bawds, Buffoons, Gameſters, Politicians, Wits, ſplenetick tedious Talkers, Controvertiſts, Raviſhers, Murderers, Robbers, Virtuoſo's; […]
She better not hear none of them old backbiters talking about her husband!
Etymology
From Middle English bakbitere, bakbytere, bacbitere, equivalent to backbite + -er.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.