backlash

Wikipedia

English

Etymology

From back + lash.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈbækˌlæʃ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

backlash (plural backlashes)

1. A sudden backward motion.
2. A reaction, objection or outcry, especially of a violent or abrupt nature.

   The public backlash to the proposal was quick and insistent.

3. (mechanics) The distance through which one part of connected machinery, as a wheel, piston, or screw, can be moved without moving the connected parts, resulting from looseness in fitting or from wear.
4. The jarring or reflex motion caused in badly fitting machinery by irregularities in velocity or a reverse of motion.

Translations

sudden backward motion

• Bulgarian: ритане (bg) (ritane)
• Dutch: tegenstroom (nl), verzet (nl)

• Finnish: takapotku (fi)

violent or abrubt reaction

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 反彈 (cmn), 反弹 (cmn) (fǎntán)

• Dutch: tegenstroom (nl), verzet (nl)

• Finnish: vastaisku (fi)
• Japanese: バックラッシュ (ja) (bakkurasshu)
• Russian: (обра́тная) реакция (ru) (reákcjia) f

mechanical: distance of free movement between connected parts

• Bulgarian: луфт (bg) (luft), хлабина (bg) (hlabina)
• Dutch: speling (nl)
• Finnish: välys (fi), klappi (fi)
• French: jeu (fr) m

• German: Spiel (de) n
• Japanese: バックラッシュ (ja) (bakkurasshu)
• Russian: мёртвый ход (ru) (mjórtvyj xod) m, люфт (ru) (ljuft) m, зазор (ru) (zazór) m
• Serbo-Croatian: zazor (sh), зазор (sh) m

jarring motion in badly fitting machinery

• Dutch: speling (nl)

• Finnish: välys (fi), klappi (fi)

Verb

backlash (third-person singular simple present backlashes, present participle backlashing, simple past and past participle backlashed)

1. (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought): To cause or set off a backlash.