- (n.) Water turned back in its course by an obstruction, an opposing current or the flow of the tide, as in a sewer or river channel or across a river bar.
- (n.) Water thrown back by the turning of a waterwheel or by the paddle wheels of a steamer.
- (n.) An accumulation of water overflowing the low lands, caused by an obstruction.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). backwater. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/backwater/definitions/1977847 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "backwater" http://smartdefine.org/backwater/definitions/1977847 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, backwater, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/backwater/definitions/1977847>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "backwater" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/backwater/definitions/1977847> |