backlash

- 3 dictionary results

back⋅lash

[bak-lash]

–noun

1.	a sudden, forceful backward movement; recoil.

2.	a strong or violent reaction, as to some social or political change: a backlash of angry feeling among Southern conservatives within the party.

Machinery.

a.	the space between the thickness of a gear tooth and the width of the space between teeth in the mating gear, designed to allow for a film of lubricant, binding from heat expansion and eccentricity, or manufacturing inaccuracies.

b.	play or lost motion between loosely fitting machine parts.

4.	Angling. a snarled line on a reel, usually caused by a faulty cast.

–verb (used without object)

5.	to make or undergo a backlash.

Origin:
1805–15; back ² + lash ¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source

back·lash (bāk'lāsh')

A sudden or violent backward whipping motion.
An antagonistic reaction to a trend, development, or event: "As the backlash against divorce progressed, state legislatures . . . called for a rollback of no-fault divorce laws and even for premarital waiting periods" (Walter Kirn).
A snarl formed in the part of a fishing line that is wound around the reel.
The play resulting from loose connections between gears or other mechanical elements.

back'lash' v.

Word Origin & History

backlash

1815, of machinery, from back + lash. In metaphoric sense, it is attested from 1921.

Search another word or see backlash on Thesaurus | Reference

About
·
Privacy Policy
·
Terms of Use
·
Careers
·
Advertise with Us
·
Link to Us
·
Contact Us

Partner Sites: