/kar"ee bak'/, n.
(in U.S. income-tax law) a special provision allowing part of a net loss or of an unused credit in a given year to be apportioned over one or two preceding years, chiefly in order to ease the tax burden. Cf. carryforward (def. 2).
[1940-45; n. use of v. phrase carry back]
Useful english dictionary. 2012.