Definition of back 40
back 40 
noun
- wild or rough terrain adjacent to a developed area.
We spent all night doing manuevers in the back 40.
Submitted by Patrick, Austin, TX, Jun 18 1998.
origin
- Origin: shortened form of "back 40 acres." A land owner or farmer who has developed part of their property (e.g. planted crops or use the land for cattle grazing) may refer to their undeveloped land as the "back X," where X is some number of acres. "40" has become the popular number to cite when using this expression.
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