backfiring
verb
Meaning
- (of a gun, cannon, Bunsen burner, etc.) To fire in the opposite direction, for example due to an obstruction in the barrel.
- (of an engine) To experience a premature ignition of fuel or an ignition of exhaust gases, making a popping sound.
- To fail in a manner that brings down further misfortune.
- A failure that leads to further misfortune.
Etymology / origin
No prose etymology has been added yet.
No ancestor words have been linked yet.
Related words
Descendant words
No descendant words have been linked yet.