Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Furtively carried on; clandestine.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Stairs in the back part of a house, as distinguished from the front stairs; a second staircase at the rear of a building; hence, a private or indirect way.
  • adjective Private; indirect; secret; conducted with secrecy; intriguing; -- as if finding access by the back stairs.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A staircase at the rear of a building or one normally only used by servants and tradesmen.
  • noun An indirect or furtive means of access or intercourse.
  • adjective Secret or furtive.
  • adjective Scandalous.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a second staircase at the rear of a building
  • adjective secret and sly or sordid

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