backbone Hear it!

backbone definition - telecom
The central or essential part of a network is commonly known as the backbone, or core.The backbone comprises very high capacity elements and subsystems such as transmission systems, multiplexers, switches, and routers. The term is used in the context of a wide area network (WAN), metropolitan area network (MAN), and local area network (LAN). See also core, LAN, MAN, and WAN.

Webster's New World Telecom Dictionary Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.