backflash

1 of 2

noun

plural -es

1

: flashback

2

: the act or an instance of backflashing

3

: a groove formed around the outer portion of the flash to receive the metal squeezed through the flash in sinking an upper die

called also gutter

backflash

2 of 2

intransitive verb

"

1

of a gas : to flash back and burn at a point where combustion is not intended

2

of a literary or dramatic work : to introduce a flashback into the narrative

the script backflashes to a day in his life 10 years before

Word History

Etymology

Noun

back entry 3 + flash

First Known Use

Noun

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Intransitive Verb

circa 1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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