Backfire

Definitions

1. 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 the wrong direction.
2. An explosion in the exhaust passages of an internal combustion engine.
3. An explosion in other equipment.

Equivalents

Examples

“As much of Seattle tries to sleep⟳, the Hellcat supercar goes on the prowl, the howls of its engine and the explosive backfires from its tailpipes echoing off the high-rise towers downtown.”

“The chief causes of rectifier backfiring in the Glasgow units were overheating or unfavourable anode/cathode temperature differential; it has proved possible to overcome⟳ these, although occasional backfires do still occur⟳.”

CEFR level