back up
The ability of an expert system to try alternative solutions in an attempt to find an answer. The various alternatives can be viewed as branches on a tree: in backtracking, the program follows one branch and, if it reaches the end without finding what it seeks, backs up and tries another branch.
To make a copy of (a computer file) esp. for storage in another place as a security cop
back to nature · Back to the drawing-board. · backtrack · backtrack from · backtracking · back up · backup · back-up · backup copy · back-up light