backdoor

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back·door

(băk′dôr′)

adj.

1. Secret or surreptitious; clandestine: a backdoor romance.

2. Devious or underhanded: "Many assail temping as a backdoor way to create a two-tier work force" (Steven Greenhouse).

3. Sports Of or directed toward a player who has slipped behind the opposing defense: a backdoor pass.

1. An unofficial and often improper entrance or channel: Most of the campaign money came through the backdoor. Every admissions process has a backdoor.

2. A means of access to a computer system that allows unauthorized users to circumvent normal authentication procedures.

back′door′ adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Noun	1.	backdoor - an undocumented way to get access to a computer system or the data it contains back door access code, access - a code (a series of characters or digits) that must be entered in some way (typed or dialed or spoken) to get the use of something (a telephone line or a computer or a local area network etc.)
	2.	backdoor - an entrance at the rear of a building back entrance, back door exterior door, outside door - a doorway that allows entrance to or exit from a building
	3.	backdoor - a secret or underhand means of access (to a place or a position); "he got his job through the back door" back door access - the act of approaching or entering; "he gained access to the building"

Translations

Hintertür

backdoor

takaovitakaportti

backdoor

back-door [ˌbækˈdɔː^r] modif (= underhand) [privatisation, cuts] → détourné(e); [measures] → détourné(e); [deal, increase] → en catiminiback door n

(lit) [house] → porte f de derrière

(fig) to do sth through the back door, to do sth by the back door → faire qch de façon détournée

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

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References in classic literature ?

But the Queen, who was just letting herself in at the backdoor with a latch-key, saw the par- rot getting out through the broken glass.

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"A backdoor, at least!" replied Raffles, with such a sly look at me that I had to turn aside to smile.

Then I asked if there was a backdoor to the chest as well as a skylight."

"You wouldn't; it would never occur to you that I might want to find out whether anybody at the Yard had found out that there was something precisely in the nature of a sidedoor - it isn't a backdoor - to that chest.

View in context

Pam Olson, Treasury's assistant secretary for tax, said the regulations curb a "backdoor form of executive compensation" and promote "greater transparency." If an executive owns a policy, the employer's premium payments are treated as loans to the executive; unless the executive pays the employer market-rate interest on the loan, he or she will be taxed on the difference between market-rate interest and actual interest.

Final split-dollar regulations bring clarity to tax status

% By Position Virus Occurrence 1 I-Worm.Sobig 21.87% 2 I-Worm.Lentin 15.95% 3 I-Worm.Klez 15.39% 4 I-Worm.Fizzer 0.67% 5 I-Worm.Roron 0.51% 6 Worm.Win32.Randon 0.38% 7 I-Worm.Ganda 0.28% 8 Macro.Word97.Thus 0.28% 9 Backdoor.Assasin 0.24% 10 I-Worm.Tantos 0.21% 11 Backdoor.Optix 0.20% 12 Backdoor.IRC.Zcrew 0.19% 13 Win32.Parite 0.17% 14 Win32.FunLove 0.17% 15 Backdoor.IRC.Flood 0.16% 16 TrojanDropper.JS.Mimail 0.16% 17 VBS.Redlof 0.15% 18 Backdoor.IRC.mIRC-based 0.14% 19 Backdoor.SbBot.gen 0.12% 20 TrojanDownloader.Win32.Swizzor 0.12% Other malicious 42.66% programs (not in top 20) Source: Anti-Virus Software Developer - Kaspersky Labs Int., viruslist.com

Fighting viruses: just what doctor ordered; a physician-owned malpractice insurer turns to outsourcing to fight the Nimda virus. The decision to hire a full-time security firm was not made lightly

Kenneth is a condescending, borderline arrogant but modestly respected educator by day and a bed-hopping backdoor playa' by night.

In Love and War

A top official of Teikyo University, which is suspected of selling backdoor admissions, met parents of prospective students before entrance examinations to collect cash, parents and sources familiar with the case told Kyodo News on Monday.

Parents report shady payments to Teikyo Univ

Although the Senate has not approved the treaty, EPA continues to try to implement regulations that would "backdoor" the requirements of the Protocol.

EPA Budget Bill Includes Important Language on Key Foundry Issues

"Although utilities have been beaten down and are also suffering in this interest rate environment, this is actually a backdoor Internet play," says Paige.

Scavenged stocks

Backdoor jams and technology issues continue to plague the direct store delivery channel, but the overall picture has improved in recent years.

DSD: Strengthening the direct connection

Last year, public-interest groups filed a suit against the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service alleging that the agreement was a hasty, backdoor deal (SN: 5/9/98, p.