A loud popping or explosive sound produced by the ignition of fuel in an internal combustion engine or exhaust system; an unintended combustion event in an engine.
2.
USUKGlobalneutralinformal
To produce an unintended and usually adverse result; to have the opposite effect of that which was intended.
An action or plan that yields an outcome contrary to the desired or expected one.
Examples:
EN: He came along whistling and said it was a backfire.
ES: Llegó silbando y dijo que había algún tubo de escape...
EN: Well, I heard something, like backfire from an automobile.
ES: Bueno, algo oí, como el petardeo de un coche.
EN: And the carburator backfire or explosive.
ES: Y el del carburador obstruido o explosivo.
EN: Boy, what wouldn't I give for a good dose of hay fever or even to get a sniff at the backfire of an old flivver.
ES: Cielos, lo que daría por estornudar un poco con el polen... o por sentir el olor a gasolina quemada de un auto.
EN: It must've been a backfire in the alley or something.
ES: Debe haber pasado algo en el callejón.
EN: If these kids are in a jam, I don't want anything done from this end that'll backfire on them.
ES: Si estos chicos están en un aprieto, no quiero que se haga nada que les pueda perjudicar.
EN: Maybe we can start a backfire.
ES: Quizá podamos iniciar un contrafuego.
EN: In fact, I'm not even much of a success around here, particularly after the backfire on Jerry's little publicity stunt with the leopard.
ES: De hecho, no he tenido mucho éxito por aquí. Sobre todo después de lo del leopardo.
EN: It might have been backfire.
ES: Pudo haber sido un petardo.
EN: - I thought it was a car backfire.
ES: A mí me ha parecido una falsa explosión.
EN: He might not be so wrong. This system could backfire.
ES: Tal vez no esté tan equivocado, podríamos quebrar.