I. ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ sometimes ˈ ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷ noun
Etymology: back (III) + hand
1.
a. : a stroke with the back of the hand turned in the direction of the movement
a sharp backhand across the cheek
b. : a stroke (as in tennis) made from his left by a right-handed player or from his right by a left-handed player — opposed to forehand
a good backhand in squash
a good backhand game
2. : handwriting whose up-and-down strokes slant at a downward angle from left to right
to write a bold backhand
backhand writing
[s]backhand.jpg[/s] [
backhand 1a
]
II. adverb
or back·hand·ed also back·hand·ed·ly
1. : using a backhand
deliver a slap backhand
hit the tennis ball backhand on a tricky bounce
2. of a catch in baseball : with the glove hand across the body to the right in right-handed throwers or to the left in left-handed ones
catch a long fly backhand on the run
III. transitive verb
: to do or hit with the back of the hand or a backhand
I backhanded the coffee right into the lap of the lippy guy — R.V.Williams
he backhanded the man with a sharp slap across the cheek
backhand a tricky bounce on a tennis court