[noun] a central cohesive source of support and stability; "faith is his anchor"; "the keystone of campaign reform was the ban on soft money"; "he is the linchpin of this firm" Synonyms:anchor, mainstay, keystone, linchpin, lynchpin
[noun] fortitude and determination; "he didn't have the guts to try it" Synonyms:grit, guts, moxie, sand, gumption
[noun] the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord; "the fall broke his back" Synonyms:spinal column, vertebral column, spine, back, rachis
[noun] the part of a network that connects other networks together; "the backbone is the part of a communication network that carries the heaviest traffic"