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The outward or upper part of a thing, as opposed to the inner or lower part; as, the back of the hand, the back of the foot, the back of a hand rail. Methought Love pitying me, when he saw this, Gave me your hands, the backs and palms to kiss. Donne.

A kind of handwriting in which the downward slope of the letters is from left to right.

With the hand turned backward; as, a backhanded blow.

of tripping by getting the leg back of the opponent's heel on the outside and pulling forward while pushing his body back; a throw made in this way. -- v. t.

The act of moving backward, or of putting or moving anything backward.

ition when the leveling instrument has been taken to a new position; a sight directed backwards to a station previously occupied. Cf. Foresight, n., 3.

A rope or strap used to prevent excessive forward motion.

ared himself the supreme prophet of the sect, and became its recognized head. There are upwards of 20,000 Bahais in the United States.

An overseer or under steward of an estate, who directs husbandry operations, collects rents, etc. [Eng.]

Having legs that bend inward at the knees.

balance at the banker's. " Thackeray. I still think the balance of probabilities leans towards the account given in the text. J. Peile.

An ancient title of the warden of the eastern marches of Hungary; now, a title of the viceroy of Croatia and Slavonia.

Bent; crooked; curved laterally, esp. with the convex side outward; as, a bandy leg.

Having sides inclining inwards, as a ship; -- opposed to wall- sided.

crosspiece, and used by a chief as his standard in battle. Hang out our banners on the outward walls. Shak.

The part of the crust of a horse's hoof which is bent inwards towards the frog at the heel on each side, and extends into the center of the sole.

The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc., to prevent it from being easily extracted. Hence: Anything which stands out with a sharp point obliquely or crosswise to something else. "Having two barbs or points." Ascham.

her stamens nor pistils. -- Barren Grounds (Geog.), a vast tract in British America northward of the forest regions. -- Barren Ground bear (Zoöl.), a peculiar bear, inhabiting the Barren Grounds, now believed to be a variety of the brown bear of Europe. -- Barren Ground caribou (Zoöl.), a small reindeer (Rangifer Gr…

In Spain and countries colonized by Spain, a village, ward, or district outside a town or city to whose jurisdiction it belongs.

menial; as, a base fellow; base motives; base occupations. "A cruel act of a base and a cowardish mind." Robynson (More's Utopia). "Base ingratitude." Milton.