back-firing, vbl. n.
[back adv., back- A. 10.]
1. The action of back-fire v. 1. N. Amer.
| 1889 Bellevue (Ida.) Press 14 Sept. 3/2 The process known as ‘back-firing’ was resorted to, which resulted in saving the threatened buildings. 1946 Los Angeles Times 9 Sept. 1. 2/4 The blaze was stopped short of the Ridge Route by backfiring. |
2. Premature ignition or explosion in an internal-combustion engine.
| 1897 G. D. Hiscox Gas Engines 86 Back-firings in the muffler and exhaust pipe. 1907 Daily Chron. 11 Nov. 7/4 The air enters the working cylinder in advance of the combustible mixture, thus preventing backfiring. 1929 Daily Express 12 Jan. 2 The sound of the report would..have been mistaken for the backfiring of a motor-car. |