[f. BACK sb. or adv. Perh. orig. a friend who ‘kept back,’ and did not come forward to assist, and so was no real friend.]
† 1. A pretended or false friend; an enemy who pretends friendship; a secret or unavowed enemy. Obs.
1472. Sir J. Paston, in Lett., 692, III. 40. I harde somwhat by hym off a bakke ffrende off yowr.
1574. T. Newton, Health Mag., 75. Corrupte and unpure Ayre is unto all age a greate backefriende and enemie.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xv. 772. Westmorland thought it safest to checke the Scots as the neerer and continuall backefriends.
1684. T. Burnet, Th. Earth, II. 180. As S. Jerome was an open enemy to this doctrine, so Eusebius was a back friend to it.
1725. Wodrow, Corr. (1843), III. 108. My back friend, Mr. Bruce, has now another and heavier author to deal with than I, Bishop Burnet.
1827. Southey, Life & Corr. (1850), V. 321. But I have had backfriends … as well as enemies.
2. A friend who stands at one’s back, a backer.
1599. Nashe, Lent. Stuffe (1871), 77. Faithful confederates and back-friends.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., vi. I had in case of the worst a stout back-friend in this uncle of mine.
3. (dial.) A hangnail.
1864. N. & Q., Ser. III. V. 25/1. The troublesome splinters of skin which are often formed near the roots of the nails are called stepmother’s blessings … back-friends.
