Where does “nickelback” come from?

nickelback (English) comes from English cornerback, from English back, from French bac, from French baccalauréat, from Medieval Latin baccalaureatus, from Latin baccalaureus, from Latin laurea, from Latin laurus — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.

nickelback (English): A fifth defensive back (in addition to two cornerbacks and two safeties) who is deployed for additional pass coverage

Definitions

  1. A fifth defensive back (in addition to two cornerbacks and two safeties) who is deployed for additional pass coverage

Ancestry of “nickelback”, step by step

nickelback traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English cornerback

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcornerbackAny of the defensive players who are in position...
2EnglishbackNear the rear; Not current; Far from the main...
3Frenchbacferry; vat; high school exit exam in France; A...
4Frenchbaccalauréatbaccalaureat; bachelor's degree
5Medieval Latinbaccalaureatusbachelor's degree
6Latinbaccalaureusbachelor
7Latinlaurealaurel, bay tree; crown, wreath or branch of...
8Latinlauruslaurel tree; laurels; a crown of laurel
9English-aceousOf, relating to, resembling or containing the...
10Latin-āceusaceous; resembling, having the nature of, forming, belonging to
11Latin-āxish, -y
12Latin-iumSuffix used to form abstract nouns, sometimes...
13Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
14Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
15Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems

via English Nickel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNickelA silvery elemental metal with an atomic number of 28 and symbol Ni
2SwedishNickelnickel (chemical element)
3Swedishkopparnickel
4Germankupfernickelcupronickel
5Germankupfercopper (chemical element, Cu, atomical number 29)
6Middle High Germankupfer
7Old High Germankupfarcopper
8Latincūprumcopper (the metal)
9Latincȳprium
10Ancient GreekΚύπροςCyprus
11Akkadian𒇒𒌓𒀀bitumen, pitch
12Akkadian𒅗𒉺𒊒to smear, to daub on; to smear or daub on
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós