Definitions

1. noun

Material, such as sand or soil, used to fill in holes or gaps, especially in a trench or excavation.

“The construction crew will need to bring in a large quantity of backfill to fill the trench.”

2. verb

To fill in or replace something, especially a section of a document, a gap in a surface, or a hole in the ground, with material such as sand or soil.

“The gardener will need to backfill the hole with soil and plant the new tree.”

3. verb

To insert new information, especially in a document or database, after the original information has been removed or updated.

“The programmer will need to backfill the database with the new customer information.”