back door


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back door

n
1. a door at the rear or side of a building
2. a means of entry to a job, position, etc, that is secret, underhand, or obtained through influence
3. (as modifier): a backdoor way of making firms pay more.
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

back′ door′


n.
a secret, furtive, illicit, or indirect method or means.
[1520–30]
back′door′, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.back door - a secret or underhand means of access (to a place or a position)back door - a secret or underhand means of access (to a place or a position); "he got his job through the back door"
access - the act of approaching or entering; "he gained access to the building"
2.back door - an undocumented way to get access to a computer system or the data it containsback door - an undocumented way to get access to a computer system or the data it contains
access code, access - a code (a series of characters or digits) that must be entered in some way (typed or dialed or spoken) to get the use of something (a telephone line or a computer or a local area network etc.)
3.back door - an entrance at the rear of a buildingback door - an entrance at the rear of a building
exterior door, outside door - a doorway that allows entrance to or exit from a building
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
References in classic literature ?
Duchess in the meantime, had slipped out at the back door.
Next night we stuck a picture, which Tom drawed in blood, of a skull and crossbones on the front door; and next night another one of a coffin on the back door. I never see a family in such a sweat.
She made the first use of the opportunity the day after old Chester's death; indeed, as soon as the news had filtered in through the back door of Diana's Grove.
The way of the thing is to be just this:--We will steal out of the back door, and run down by the quarters.
Young farmers who were in town for Saturday came tramping through the yard to the back door to engage dances, or to invite Tony to parties and picnics.
Anne followed them meekly home and slipped in by the back door.
With that assurance he took his cudgel from the corner of the room, and stalked out swiftly by the back door of the house into the night.
By turning their heads they could see through an- other window, along an alleyway that ran behind the Main Street stores and into the back door of Abner Groff's bakery.
The flour pan in which their daily bread was mixed stood on the rude table side by side with the "prospecting pans," half full of gold washed up from their morning's work; the front windows of the newer tenements looked upon the one single thoroughfare, but the back door opened upon the uncleared wilderness, still haunted by the misshapen bulk of bear or the nightly gliding of catamount.
So, without giving notice of his intention to anyone, and without anybody seeing him, one morning before the dawning of the day (which was one of the hottest of the month of July) he donned his suit of armour, mounted Rocinante with his patched-up helmet on, braced his buckler, took his lance, and by the back door of the yard sallied forth upon the plain in the highest contentment and satisfaction at seeing with what ease he had made a beginning with his grand purpose.
As she went up the garden-path she heard her mother singing by the back door, coming in sight of which she perceived Mrs Durbeyfield on the doorstep in the act of wringing a sheet.
The traffic of the house took place through a side-door, and there was a back door as well for the gardener and for beggars and tramps.