Rückgrat

German

Etymology

rück- (“back-”) +‎ Grat (“ridge”)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʁʏkˌɡʁaːt/, [ˈʁʏkʁaːtʰ]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: Rück‧grat

Noun

Rückgrat n (strong, genitive Rückgrates or Rückgrats, plural Rückgrate)

  1. (anatomy) backbone, spine
    Synonym: Wirbelsäule
  2. (figuratively) backbone, cornerstone (the fundamental or main contributor to a system or organization)
    Der Tourismus ist das Rückgrat unserer Wirtschaft.
    Tourism is the backbone of our economy.
  3. (figuratively) spine, assertiveness (the willingness to stand up for oneself in the face of adversity)
    Jetzt müsste er mal Rückgrat beweisen, statt alles immer nur hinzunehmen.
    He really should show some spine now for once, instead of only ever putting up with things.

Declension

Declension of Rückgrat [neuter, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Rückgrat die Rückgrate
genitive eines des Rückgrates, Rückgrats der Rückgrate
dative einem dem Rückgrat, Rückgrate1 den Rückgraten
accusative ein das Rückgrat die Rückgrate

1Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

Further reading

  • “Rückgrat” in Duden online
  • “Rückgrat” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
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