From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbacklogback‧log /ˈbæklɒɡ $ -lɒːɡ, -lɑːɡ/ noun [countable usually singular] JOB/TASKa large amount of work that you need to complete, especially work that should already have been completedbacklog of a backlog of requests It’s going to take us months to clear the backlog.
Examples from the Corpus
backlog• For example, Monday clinics are prone to develop a backlog owing to bank holidays and statutory holidays.• But the ensuing backlog, caused while the train was stalled, lasted much longer.• Firm backlog rose to $ 19. 64 million on Dec. 31 from $ 17. 5 billion a year earlier.• a large backlog of orders• In other parts of the country, youth justice workers are more concerned about the massive backlog of cases.• Order backlog also increased 56% to £10.6m.• Compaq says Prolinea backlog is two months.• Goldstein said she hopes to have the bulk of the backlog cleared up in the next month to six weeks.• Then he buried himself in his endless technical reports, in a desperate last-minute assault on the usual backlog.clear ... backlog• Norwich agreed to take on an extra twelve staff and to clear the backlog of applications.• Extra staff brought in to clear the backlog should be kept on until a thorough review is made.• She continued to go to the shop and had managed to clear the backlog of work and correspondence.• The hospital is asking for more money to clear the backlog.• He said the airline was now working to clear the backlog, with the delayed flights expected to depart within 24 hours.From Longman Business Dictionarybacklogback‧log /ˈbæklɒg-lɒːg, -lɑːg/ noun [countable usually singular] an amount of work that should already have been completedThe company has a backlog of 165 orders for the helicopter.Origin backlog (1900-2000) backlog “large piece of wood placed at the back of a fire” ((17-21 centuries)) 