Word Study
back fire
CIDE DICTIONARY
back fire,
- A fire started ahead of a forest or prairie fire to burn only against the wind, so that when the two fires meet both must go out for lack of fuel. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
- A premature explosion in the cylinder of a gas or oil engine during the exhaust or the compression stroke, tending to drive the piston in a direction reverse to that in which it should travel; also called a
knock orping . [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
For further exploring for "back fire" in Webster Dictionary Online