[f. BACK a.]
1. Stairs at the back of a house; a secondary staircase.
1654. Earl Orrery, Parthen. (1676), 547. To lead him down a back-stairs.
1655. Marq. Worcester, Cent. Inv., xlviii. With Back-stairs … convenient to Servants to pass up and down.
1863. H. Kingsley, A. Elliot, I. x. 114. ‘So I hits myself down the back-stairs with a tray-full of glasses.’
2. esp. The private stairs in a palace, used for other than state visitors.
1627. Ord. R. Househ. (1790), 343. All access must bee … neither by back stayres or private doores.
1682. Lond. Gaz., No. 1764/4. Whoever brings him to her Royal Highnesses Back-stairs, shall have a Guinea Reward.
1884. 19th Cent., Jan., 29. A page of the back stairs of the royal palace.
b. fig. A secret disingenuous method of approach.
1641. Sir E. Dering, Sp. on Relig., xi. 40. I hope we are not going up the back-stairs to Socinianisme.
c. esp. attrib. Of, pertaining to, or employing underhand intrigue at court. (Occas. backstair.)
1697. Vanbrugh, Relapse, II. A backstair minister.
1770. Burke, Pres. Discont., Wks. 1842, I. 131. A backstairs influence and clandestine government.
1882. L. Stephen, Swift, 110. The back-stairs plots by which the administration of his friends was hampered.
