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In Egypt and the Turkish empire, a gratuity; a "tip".

The hinder part, posteriors, or rump of a person or animal.

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.

To slide back; to fall away; esp. to abandon gradually the faith and practice of a religion that has been professed.

One who backslides.

Slipping back; falling back into sin or error; sinning. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord. Jer. iii. 14.

now superseded by the quadrant and sextant; -- so called because the observer turned his back to the body observed.

Private; indirect; secret; intriguing; as if finding access by the back stairs. A backstairs influence. Burke. Female caprice and backstairs influence. Trevelyan.

A rope or stay extending from the masthead to the side of a ship, slanting a little aft, to assist the shrouds in supporting the mast. [ Often used in the plural.]

A backer. [Obs.]

A stitch made by setting the needle back of the end of the last stitch, and bringing it out in front of the end.

In baseball, a fence, prop. at least 90 feet behind the home base, to stop the balls that pass the catcher; also, the catcher himself.

A female baker. [Obs.]

In England, a stick with a basket handle, used in rustic amusements; also, the game in which the stick is used. Also called singlestick. Halliwell.

Directed to the back or rear; as, backward glances.

With the back in advance or foremost; as, to ride backward.

The seller's postponement of delivery of stock or shares, with the consent of the buyer, upon payment of a premium to the latter; -- also, the premium so paid. See Contango. Biddle.

Perversely; ill.[Obs.] And does he think so backwardly of me Shak.

The state of being backward.

To clean the oil from (wood) after combing.