backlash

English

Etymology

From back +‎ lash.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbækˌlæʃ/
Audio (US) (file)

Noun

backlash (countable and uncountable, plural backlashes)

A sudden backward motion.
(figurative) A negative reaction, objection or outcry, especially of a violent or abrupt nature.
The public backlash to the proposal was quick and insistent.
(mechanics) The looseness through which one part of connected machinery, as a wheel, gear, piston, or screw, can be moved without moving the connected parts, or a measurement of the distance moved thereby; either intentional (as allowance) or unintentional (from error or wear).
Synonyms: lash, play
The jarring or reflex motion caused in badly fitting machinery by irregularities in velocity or a reverse of motion.

Derived terms

techlash

Translations

sudden backward motion

Bulgarian: ритане (bg) (ritane)
Danish: pludselig reaktion (da) c
Dutch: tegenstroom (nl), verzet (nl)
Finnish: takapotku
Greek: αντίδραση (el) f (antídrasi)
Italian: reazione (it) f
Portuguese: coice (pt) m, reação (pt) f
Spanish: reacción (es) m

violent or abrubt reaction

Armenian: please add this translation if you can
Chinese:
Mandarin: 反彈／反弹 (zh) (fǎntán)
Danish: voldsom reaktion (da) c, voldsom protestreaktion c
Dutch: tegenstroom (nl), verzet (nl)
Esperanto: protestreago
Finnish: vastareaktio (fi)
French: retour de bâton (fr) m, retour de manivelle (fr) m
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
Greek: αντίκτυπος (el) m (antíktypos), εξέγερση (el) f (exégersi)
Italian: contraccolpo (it)
Japanese: バックラッシュ (bakkurasshu)
Khmer: please add this translation if you can
Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
Polish: sprzeciw (pl) m
Portuguese: comoção (pt) f, revolta (pt) f, motim (pt) m
Russian: (обра́тная) реа́кция (ru) f (reákcija), ответка (ru) f (otvetka) (slang), отпор (ru) m (otpor)
Slovak: negatívna odozva f, silná reakcia, veľký odpor m
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Vietnamese: chống đối (vi)

mechanical: distance of free movement between connected parts

Bulgarian: луфт (bg) (luft), хлабина (bg) (hlabina)
Danish: spil n
Dutch: speling (nl)
Finnish: välys, klappi, löysä (fi)
French: jeu (fr) m
German: Spiel (de) n
Greek: διάκενο (el) n (diákeno)
Hungarian: holtjáték
Irish: ligean m
Italian: gioco (it), passo (it) m
Japanese: バックラッシュ (bakkurasshu)
Polish: luz (pl) m
Portuguese: jogo (pt) m
Russian: мёртвый ход m (mjórtvyj xod), люфт (ru) m (ljuft), зазо́р (ru) m (zazór), люфт (ru) m (ljuft), зазо́р (ru) m (zazór), свобо́дный ход (ru) m (svobódnyj xod)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: зазор m
Roman: zazor (sh)
Slovak: vôľa f
Spanish: juego (es) m
Swedish: spel (sv) n

jarring motion in badly fitting machinery

Bulgarian: биене (bg) n (biene)
Dutch: speling (nl)
Finnish: välys, klappi
Italian: scuotimento m, stridore m, dissonanza (it) f

Verb

backlash (third-person singular simple present backlashes, present participle backlashing, simple past and past participle backlashed)

To cause or set off a backlash.
(The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

Anagrams

Kalbachs, black ash, hacklabs