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- take aback
take aback
take aback
Surprise, shock, as in He was taken aback by her caustic remark. This idiom comes from nautical terminology of the mid-1700s, when be taken aback referred to the stalling of a ship caused by a wind shift that made the sails lay back against the masts. Its figurative use was first recorded in 1829.
Common Names:
Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
Jerrold | | ['dʒerəld] | |
Terese | | te-RES (Swedish) | Basque, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish |
Kibwe | | - | Eastern African, Swahili |
Seoc | | - | Scottish |
Raelene | | ray-LEEN | English (Rare) |
Adino | | - | Biblical |