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

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

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.

A backward slope in the face of a wall or of a bank; receding slope. Batter rule, an instrument consisting of a rule or frame, and a plumb line, by which the batter or slope of a wall is regulated in building.

A barb or sharp point of an arrow or other instrument, projecting backward to prevent the head from being easily drawn out.

Toward the back part or rear; backward; as, to look behind.

In a state of backwardness, in respect to what is seasonable or appropriate, or as to what should have been accomplished; not equally forward with some other person or thing; dilatory; backward; late; tardy; as, behindhand in studies or in work. In this also [dress] the country are very much behindhand. Addison.…

The movable piece which closes the breech of a breech-loading firearm, and resists the backward force of the discharge. It is withdrawn for the insertion of a cartridge, and closed again before the gun is fired.

Backwards; toward the tail or posterior part.

e frame, or movable railway, along which the carriage of a barbette or casemate gum moves backward and forward. [See Gun carriage.]

In chairs, the seat is widened at the front, and the back toward the top widened and bent backward, except in Chinese Chippendale, in which the backs are usually rectangular. -- Chip"pen*dal*ism (#), n.

A detent, pawl, or ratchet, as that which catches the cogs of a ratchet wheel to prevent backward motion. See Illust. of Ratched wheel.

omputing; calculation; reckoning. By just computation of the time. Shak. By a computation backward from ourselves. Bacon.

tponement of payment by the buyer of stock on the payment of a premium to the seller. See Backwardation. N. Biddle.

b spider (Zoöl.), one of a group of spiders (Laterigradæ); -- called because they can run backwards or sideways like a crab. -- Crab tree, the tree that bears crab applies. -- Crab wood, a light cabinet wood obtained in Guiana, which takes a high polish. McElrath. -- To catch a crab (Naut.), a phrase used of a rower…

ficult to move the part. To those also that, with a crick or cramp, have thei necks drawn backward. Holland.

Weak; inconsistent; contradictory. [R.] The evidance is crimp; the witnesses swear backward and forward, and contradict themselves. Arbuthnot.

Any part of a mathematical instrument that moves or slides backward and forward upon another part.

Extending far back from the front or outer part; of great horizontal dimension (measured backward from the front or nearer part, mouth, etc.); as, a deep cave or recess or wound; a gallery ten seats deep; a company of soldiers six files deep. Shadowing squadrons deep. Milton. Safely in harbor Is the king's ship in the…

oothed; especially, with the teeth projecting straight out, not pointed either forward or backward; as, a dentate leaf.