throwback
Americannoun
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Biology.
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the reversion to an ancestral or earlier type or character; atavism.
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an individual having the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type; an example of atavism.
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a person or thing that evokes memories or imitates something from the past (often used attributively): On their anniversary, she took to social media with a throwback photo from their wedding reception.
These chandeliers are designed as a throwback to those old-style candlelit lanterns.
On their anniversary, she took to social media with a throwback photo from their wedding reception.
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an act of throwing back.
A sudden ban on fish throwbacks could harm ecosystems, since a range of predator species are reliant on discarded fish as a food source.
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a setback or check.
noun
verb
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(intr) to revert to an earlier or more primitive type
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to force to depend (on)
the crisis threw her back on her faith in God
Etymology
Origin of throwback
First recorded in 1855–60; 1915–20 throwback for def. 1; noun use of verb phrase throw back
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As many noted, the instantly iconic photo of Hughes looks and feels like a throwback to a bygone era.
From Los Angeles Times
Eastern Ukraine used to feel like a throwback to the Western Front in World War One, with trenches and dugouts reinforced against artillery and snipers.
From BBC
Since 2019, Microsoft's Silica project has been trying to encode data on glass plates, in a throwback to the early days of photography, when negatives were also stored on glass.
From Barron's
It was, undeniably, an "old school cup tie" - one which both managers agreed provided "a bit of a throwback".
From BBC
The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the market’s throwback benchmark, did indeed touch a new high that day.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
