back-ordered

back-ordered refers to a situation where an item that a customer has ordered is temporarily out of stock and cannot be shipped immediately. Retailers will typically provide an estimated date when the item will be available again. Back-ordered items are common in e-commerce, especially for popular or seasonal products. When an item is on back order, it means the retailer will fulfill the order as soon as the product is back in stock, and in some cases, customers may be offered the option to cancel or modify the order.