backset
Americannoun
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New England, Southern, and South Midland U.S.
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a setback; relapse; reverse.
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an eddy or countercurrent.
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(on a lock on a door or the like) the horizontal distance between the face through which the bolt passes and the center line of the knob stem or keyhole.
Etymology
Origin of backset
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shares of the world’s largest tech companies have taken a backset this year to beneficiaries of their artificial-intelligence spending blitz, with semiconductor stocks taking a leading role in driving the market higher.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026
One key measurement is the backset: the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the handle.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2019
He did a good job protecting the backset and blocking shots.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2012
If you find anything that will enable me to give that gentleman a financial backset I’ll see that you get a handsome reward.
From The Making of Bobby Burnit Being a Record of the Adventures of a Live American Young Man by James Montgomery Flagg
Its backset, however, is caught in the yawning mouth of the race.
From Historic Waterways?Six Hundred Miles of Canoeing Down the Rock, Fox, and Wisconsin Rivers by Reuben Gold Thwaites
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
