set-back: Meaning and Definition of

set-back

Pronunciation: (set'bak"), [key]
— n.
  1. the interval by which a chain or tape exceeds the length being measured.
  2. setback (def. 4).

set•back

Pronunciation: (set'bak"), [key]
— n.
  1. a check to progress; a reverse or defeat: The new law was a setback.
  2. a recession of the upper part of a building from the building line, as to lighten the structure or to permit a desired amount of light and air to reach ground level at the foot of the building.
  3. an act or instance of setting back: A nightly setback of your home thermostats can save a great deal of fuel.
  4. a downward temperature adjustment of a thermostat, esp. performed automatically, as by a timer.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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