n.
1.a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
2.the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground
3.information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem
4.extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured
5.relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation
6.the state of the environment in which a situation exists
7.(computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear
8.scenery hung at back of stage background v.
1.understate the importance or quality of
Idiom of the Day
knock oneself out (doing something)
to make a great effort doing something
We knocked ourselves out trying to make the party successful.
