back door

SEE SYNONYMS FOR back door ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a door at the rear of a house, building, etc.
a secret, furtive, or illicit method, manner, or means.

Origin of back door

First recorded in 1520–30

Words nearby back door

back channel, back clearance, back clipping, back country, back dive, back door, back down, back electromotive force, back emf, back emission, back end

Definition for back door (2 of 2)

backdoor

or back-door

[ bak-dawr, -dohr ]
/ ˈbækˈdɔr, -ˈdoʊr /

adjective

secret; furtive; illicit; indirect.

Origin of backdoor

First recorded in 1605–15; adj. use of back door

Words related to back door

postern, trapdoor, wormhole

British Dictionary definitions for back door

back door

noun

a door at the rear or side of a building
  1. a means of entry to a job, position, etc, that is secret, underhand, or obtained through influence
  2. (as modifier)a backdoor way of making firms pay more

Idioms and Phrases with back door

back door
1

An entry at the rear of a building, as in Deliveries are supposed to be made at the back door only. [First half of 1500s]

2

A clandestine, unauthorized, or illegal way of operating. For example, Salesmen are constantly trying to push their products by offering special gifts through the back door. This term alludes to the fact that the back door cannot be seen from the front. [Late 1500s]