backside
Forms: 5–6 bak-, backesyde, 6 bak-, 7 backeside, 6– backside.
[f. back. a. Now pronounced as two words, exc. in sense 3 (and 2 dialectally).]
1. The hinder or back part; the back, the rear.
| 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. i. xxiii. 72 That on the baksyde of the bataylle they be not enuahysshed. 1571 Digges Pantom. i. xxviii, The backeside of your instrument. 1641 Hinde J. Bruen xlvi. 147 Came out at the backside of his leg. 1728 Newton Chronol. Amended 10 Scythians from the backside of the Euxine Sea. 1858 Hawthorne Fr. & It. Jrnls. (1872) I. 36 The worst back-side lanes. |
† 2. The back premises, back yard, out-buildings, attached to a dwelling; also, the privy. Now dial.
| 1541 Act 33 Hen. VIII, xxxvi, Houses, with the curtilage backeside and gardeine adjoining. 1630 Lord Banians & Persees 79 Administring food to a young Kid in his Fathers backeside. 1704 Swift T. Tub Wks. 1768 I. 150 An authentic phrase for demanding the way to the back-side. 1804 R. Anderson Cumberld. Ball. 79 The witch weyfe begg'd in our backseyde. |
3. (ˈbæksaɪd) The posteriors or rump.
| c 1500 Robin Hood (Ritson) ii. iv. 236 With an arrowe so broad, He shott him into the backe-syde. 1651 H. More Sec. Lash Alaz. To Rdr., As if his senses lay all in his backside, and had left his brains destitute. 1713 Addison Guardian No. 156 (1756) II. 288 A poor ant..with her head downwards, and her backside upwards. 1827 Gentl. Mag. XCVII. ii. 522 He shall fall on his back-side. |
† 4. The under surface of a leaf; the reverse side or ‘back’ of a document, page, book, etc.; cf. back n. 3, 4. Obs.
| 1547 Act 1 Edw. VI, v. §5 Indorsed and written on the Back-side of the said Licence. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 86 b, Upon the bak syde they [Hartstongue leaves] haue as it wer smal wormes hangyng on. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. viii. 116 On the backside of this paper are writ these words. 1720 Lond. Gaz. No. 5910/5 Lost..a Pocket-Book..writ on the backside John Bennett. |
† 5. fig. The reverse or wrong side; the opposite.
| 1645 Milton Colast. Wks. (1851) 377 To endorse him on the back-side of posterity, not a golden, but a brazen Asse. 1695 Congreve Love for L. iv. xix, Just the very backside of Truth. |