1.Definition: (computer science) the area of the screen in graphical user interfaces against which icons and windows appear

Related Noun(s):desktop

Category: Objects

2.Definition: a person's social heritage: previous experience or training

"He is a lawyer with a sports background"

Category: General

3.Definition: extraneous signals that can be confused with the phenomenon to be observed or measured

"They got a bad connection and could hardly hear one another over the background signals"

Category: General

4.Definition: information that is essential to understanding a situation or problem

"The embassy filled him in on the background of the incident"

Category: General

5.Definition: relatively unimportant or inconspicuous accompanying situation

"When the rain came he could hear the sound of thunder in the background"

Category: General

6.Definition: scenery hung at back of stage

Related Noun(s):backcloth, backdrop

Category: Objects

7.Definition: the part of a scene (or picture) that lies behind objects in the foreground

"He posed her against a background of rolling hills"

Related Noun(s):ground

Category: General

8.Definition: the state of the environment in which a situation exists

Related Noun(s):scope, setting

Category: General