backwater

views updated May 14 2018

back·wa·ter / ˈbakˌwôtər; -ˌwätər/ • n. a part of a river not reached by the current, where the water is stagnant. ∎  an isolated or peaceful place: a sleepy Midwest backwater. ∎  a place or condition in which no development or progress is taking place: the country remained an economic backwater.