der Silberrücken
silverback
A fully grown male gorilla with silvery-gray hair on its back.
EXAMPLE
Der Silberrücken führte seine Gruppe ruhig durch den Wald.
The silverback calmly led his group through the forest.
der Silberrücken
silverback
der Silberrücken, die Silberrücken
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Meanings
der Silberrücken
silverback
Informally, an older, influential man, especially in an organization, company, or political group.
EXAMPLE
Die jungen Abgeordneten wollten den Silberrücken ihrer Partei nicht offen kritisieren.
The young members of parliament did not want to openly criticize their party's silverback.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Silberrücken, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Silberrücken |
| genitive | des Silberrückens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Silberrücken | die Silberrücken |
| accusative | den Silberrücken | die Silberrücken |
| dative | dem Silberrücken | den Silberrücken |
| genitive | des Silberrückens | der Silberrücken |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Compound word
'Silberrücken' (silverback) is made up of 'Silber' (silver) and 'Rücken' (back). The name refers to the silvery-gray hair on the back of fully grown male gorillas.
EXAMPLE
Im Zoo beobachteten die Besucher den beeindruckenden Silberrücken lange.
At the zoo, the visitors watched the impressive silverback for a long time.
Context clue
With 'Silberrücken' (silverback), words such as 'Gorilla' (gorilla), 'Herde' (herd), or 'Gehege' (enclosure) indicate the meaning related to the animal world. If words such as 'Partei' (party), 'Unternehmen' (company), or 'Führung' (leadership) appear in the sentence, the figurative meaning is usually intended.
EXAMPLE
Der Silberrücken beschützte die jüngeren Gorillas vor einer Gefahr.
The silverback protected the younger gorillas from danger.
Im Unternehmen hatte der Silberrücken bei wichtigen Entscheidungen noch großen Einfluss.
In the company, the silverback still had a great deal of influence over important decisions.
Informal usage
The figurative meaning of 'Silberrücken' (silverback) is informal and often carries a slightly critical or ironic tone. It is especially common in conversations and journalistic texts about hierarchies and power.
EXAMPLE
Die jungen Manager mussten den Silberrücken erst von ihrem neuen Konzept überzeugen.
The young managers first had to convince the silverback of their new concept.
In real life
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