backen

1759 in 1908 MA Mag. 1.176 neMA, This morning a fine Prospect of a fair wind But Backened to the Westward again Blows harde. 1825 Charleston Courier (SC) 28 June 2/3 seNC, By this time it [=the wind] had got fully to East and continued to blow harder, still backening, and by 8 p. m. had got fully into N. E. 1903 DN 2.294 Cape Cod MA (as of 1850s), It blowed fresh from the northeast all day, then moderated and backened round to the northard and into the norwest. 1907 DN 3.240 eME, “The wind is backenin’ around.” 1945 Colcord Sea Language 45 ME, Cape Cod, Long Island, Back(en) round. Of the wind, to change counterclockwise, a sign of bad weather on the coast. 1967 DARE (Qu. B15) Inf ME10, The wind changing from northwest to northeast is comin’ around (good weather); wind from the northwest to the west or southwest is backenin’ in or backenin’ up (storm to come). 1989 Ballance Ocracokers 66 eNC, By the time we began poling back to the Rex, the wind had strengthened a little and “backened up” from the west to a more southwesterly direction.

1770 NY Jrl. or Genl. Advt. (NY) 28 June 75/3 ceMA, The News of his being appointed to the Secretaryship of this Province, will much backen, if not quite defeat the Proposal of his Re-admission. 1857 Charleston Daily Courier (SC) 3 June [2]/5 csSC, The late spring has backened the crops generally, retarded the growth of the provisions and done great damage to the cotton. 1904 Philadelphia Inquirer (PA) 22 Apr 9/6 DE, Senator Alvan B. Connor, Felton: “We had seven-eighths of an inch of ice, but the continued cold and dry weather had so backened all crops and held them under cover that the damage thus far is very slight.” 1907 Lebanon Patriot (IN) 16 May 2/3, As to my ancient recollection, this has been one of the backened spring [sic], since Columbus made his discovery known. 1950 WELS Suppl., “The bread was rising too fast so I set it in a cool place to backen it”—used by a woman (college graduate) from Maine [who] says it is common there.