backdraft

[bak-draft, -drahft]

noun

1. an explosive surge in a fire produced by the sudden mixing of air with other combustible gases.

Word History and Origins

Origin of backdraft¹

First recorded in 1815–25; back ² + draft

Example Sentences

And he appeared just as often in more popular fare, playing a spacey tank commander in “Kelly’s Heroes,” a demented arsonist in “Backdraft” and an authoritarian president in the “Hunger Games” films.

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Jamie Dobie's box-kicks are almost forcing the Warriors backwards as they get caught in the backdraft.

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In the ’90s, Swan appeared in a number of high-profile films including Quentin Tarantino’s “Natural Born Killers” and Ron Howard’s “Backdraft.”

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Swan’s additional film credits include “Who’s That Girl,” “Backdraft” and “Going All the Way.”

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Fire Commissioner William Renaldo described an explosion caught on video as a backdraft, which he said occurs when oxygen is “sucked into the building and then blown back.”

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