/ Dictionary / Index B backwater: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: back•wa•ter Pronunciation: (bak'wô"tur, -wot"ur), [key] — n. water held or forced back, as by a dam, flood, or tide. a place or state of stagnant backwardness: This area of the country is a backwater that continues to resist progress. an isolated, peaceful place. a stroke executed by pushing a paddle forward, causing a canoe to move backward. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: backwater (Thesaurus) backwash backwater valve Related Content Daily Word Quiz: miscreant Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language