backwash

 
Pronunciation: /ˈbakwɒʃ/

noun

[mass noun]
  • the motion of receding waves: the backwash is reduced in energy by the percolation of water into the shingle
  • a backward current created by an object moving through water or air: the backwash of a truck on the autobahn
  • the unpleasant after-effects of an event: the backwash of the Cuban missile crisis

verb

[with object]
  • clean (a filter) by reversing the flow of fluid through it: the very fine mesh is backwashed to remove solids