backblock

A remote tract of land in the interior; hence (in plural) sparsely populated country far from major cities and lacking conveniences common in urban areas.

Noun

  1. A remote tract of land in the interior; hence (in plural) sparsely populated country far from major cities and lacking conveniences common in urban areas.
    • Near-synonyms: upcountry, interior, hinterland
    • I speak solely for the backblock roads, and I contend that the time has arrived when the Government should turn its attention to the metalling of these roads. - 1931, New Zealand House of Representatives, Parliamentary...
    • It has happened in other districts that new settlement has turned the old centres into isolated backblocks. - 1955, Helen Wilson, My First Eighty Years, page 185:

    Synonyms: backcountry wop-wops boondock upcountry interior hinterland

    Hypernyms: country land area region place location

    Coordinate Terms: frontcountry

  2. The most distally outlying suburb among a set of suburbs.
  3. Land behind which fronts on water; land without a permanent watercourse.

Origin

From back + block.

Forms

backblocks back-block back block

Related

landlocked