backdoor

[ bak-dawr ]

noun

1. a door at the rear of a house, building, etc.:

   Fans were waiting by the backdoor of the theater, hoping to catch a glimpse of the band.

2. a secret, furtive, or illicit manner or means:

   The business has a backdoor through which the board of directors can access slush fund money.

3. an indirect manner or means:

   Marriage counseling was a kind of backdoor into therapy, where I finally faced my dysfunctional relationship with my mother.

4. Computers. a secret access point or undocumented vulnerability in a software program, hardware component, or digital network, sometimes intentionally maintained as for remote developer access, but also sometimes created or exploited for unauthorized access by hackers:

   If half of all devices have disclosed backdoors, cybersecurity experts must assume that the number of devices affected by undisclosed or malicious backdoors is much higher.

5. Slang: Usually Vulgar. anus.

adjective

1. secret; furtive; illicit:

   Special interests pushed through a backdoor contract before the bidding period had expired.

2. indirect:

   The immigration reform bill included backdoor amnesty for employed undocumented residents.

3. Computers. relating to, using, or noting an indirect access point into a network, computer, or program:

   Hackers used a Trojan horse to establish backdoor access to the mainframe.

4. Slang: Vulgar. anal ( def 1 ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of backdoor¹

First recorded in 1520–30; back ¹( def ) + door

Example Sentences

The two players talked about how when Christie checked in later that night, Russell would try to break down a defender off the dribble, allowing for Christie to quickly cut backdoor for a layup.

From Los Angeles Times

But a spokesperson for the recall campaign, Seneca Scott, denied that Dreyfuss was backing a mayoral recall as a backdoor to boosting his business interests.

From Los Angeles Times

“Manaea actually made a really good pitch with the backdoor sweeper,” said Andrew Friedman, the team’s president of baseball operations.

From Los Angeles Times

The territory's unusual status led to a long legal dispute, with the UK government saying that bringing them to Britain risked creating a "backdoor migration route".

From BBC

“I’m getting a lot of backdoor spin, tons of changeups and splits,” Lux said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• classified
• covert
• furtive
• hush-hush
• mysterious
• obscure
• private
• secluded
• undercover
• underground
• undisclosed
• unknown
• unpublished