backset

American  

[bak-set] / ˈbækˌsɛt /

noun

1. New England, Southern, and South Midland U.S.

   1. a setback; relapse; reverse.

   2. an eddy or countercurrent.

2. (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.

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Etymology

Origin of backset

First recorded in 1565–75; back ² + set

Example Sentences

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

Each crew must accept the backset of its accidents.

From Boy Scouts Handbook The First Edition, 1911 by Boy Scouts of America

The backset to his ambition made him more sleepless than ever, bringing on frequent attacks of asthma.

From The Faith Doctor A Story of New York by Eggleston, Edward

The water is backset by a mill-dam for two miles, forming a small lake.

From Historic Waterways?Six Hundred Miles of Canoeing Down the Rock, Fox, and Wisconsin Rivers by Thwaites, Reuben Gold