A person who speaks badly about others when they are not present; someone who gossips or spreads negative comments behind someone's back.
From 'backbite' + the agent noun suffix '-er'. This term emerged in Middle English to name a person habitually engaging in this behavior, becoming a character type condemned in both religious and secular literature.
In medieval and Renaissance literature, backbiters were character archetypes—the 'false friend' whose betrayal through words was considered deeply shameful, reflecting a society where reputation was everything and your word was your bond.
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