The Britannica Dictionary
mobile search
Home
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
×
Britannica Homepage
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
The Britannica Dictionary
back–of–the–envelope
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
back–of–the–envelope
(adjective)
back–of–the–envelope
adjective
back–of–the–envelope
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of BACK–OF–THE–ENVELOPE
always used before a noun
informal
:
done to provide a rough idea of something
I can't tell you the exact amount, but my
back-of-the-envelope
[=
rough
] calculation indicates a cost of about $300,000.
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
ASK THE EDITOR
What are the plural forms of
check-in
,
passerby
, and
spoonful
?
See the answer »
QUIZZES
Vocabulary Quiz
Test your word power
Take the Quiz »
Name That Thing
Take our visual quiz
Test Your Knowledge »
WORD OF THE DAY
emulate
:
to try to be like (someone or something you admire)
Learn More »