Backlogs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A buildup of tasks or orders that remain incomplete over time
2. a large amount of work that has not yet been processed or addressed
3. a significant accumulation of delayed items requiring attention or resolution

Etymology: "Backlogs" is simply the plural of "backlog," so it is worth knowing the singular's story. The word began in the 1680s as a literal object: a large log placed at the back of a hearth fire, which burned slowly through the night and kept the fire alive. Its name came from "back" and "log," and the physical picture of a heavy log smouldering behind the flames is what the word first described. The figurative sense came much later, in the 1880s, when "backlog" came to mean something stored up for later use. The move from a hearth log to a pile of unfinished work is easy to trace: both are things set aside at the back, waiting to be drawn on. Some authorities also suggest the word was influenced by "logbook," a record of tasks and events, though the hearth log remains the core of its meaning.

Synonyms: delays, hold-ups, backups

Antonyms: progress, advancement