backset

[ bak-set ]

noun

New England, Southern, and South Midland U.S.
- a setback; relapse; reverse.
- an eddy or countercurrent.
(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.

Origin of backset

First recorded in 1565–75; back² + set

Still well, but sit out in the cool air too long, and take a slight backset.
Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary | John Kline
So Thad determined that should they meet with another backset, he was bound to put the matter before his chums in its true light.
The Boy Scouts on War Trails in Belgium | Herbert Carter
If you find anything that will enable me to give that gentleman a financial backset Ill see that you get a handsome reward.
The Making of Bobby Burnit | George Randolph Chester
The water is backset by a mill-dam for two miles, forming a small lake.
Historic Waterways--Six Hundred Miles of Canoeing Down the Rock, Fox, and Wisconsin Rivers | Reuben Gold Thwaites
Its backset, however, is caught in the yawning mouth of the race.
Historic Waterways--Six Hundred Miles of Canoeing Down the Rock, Fox, and Wisconsin Rivers | Reuben Gold Thwaites

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