kickback: Meaning and Definition of

kick•back

Pronunciation: (kik'bak"), [key]
— n.
  1. a percentage of income given to a person in a position of power or influence as payment for having made the income possible: usually considered improper or unethical.
  2. a rebate, usually given secretively by a seller to a buyer or to one who influenced the buyer.
  3. the practice of an employer or a person in a supervisory position of taking back a portion of the wages due workers.
  4. a response, usually vigorous.
  5. a sudden, uncontrolled movement of a machine, tool, or other device, as on starting or in striking an obstruction: A kickback from a chain saw can be dangerous.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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