DCHP-3

backsplit

DCHP-2 (Oct 2016)

Spelling variants:
back-split

n. & adj. — Construction

a house with an added level at the back.

Type: 5. Frequency — Backsplit is highly frequent in Canada, and it may be Canadian in origin. The term preferred in the US appears to be "front-to-back split". According to internet domain searches, the term is almost exclusive to Canada (see Chart 1).
See also COD-2, s.v. "backsplit", which is marked "Cdn", and OED-3, s.v. "backsplit", which is marked "Canad.".

Quotations

1956
Bermuda Back-Split Homes
1983
In backsplit bungalows the staircase is split at the back of the house.
1984
A backsplit floor plan is "split" at the back to create a third level of space in a two-story home. Usually the space is a couple of steps lower than the main floor.
1995
This open-concept backsplit on Beechwood Drive in Waterloo's Upper Beechwood offers 1,800 square feet of living space and lists for $187,650.
2005
One reason is the packaging of rural subdivisions is better than ever. Putting gingerbread on a ranch bungalow or backsplit appears to make them superior and less worrisome than houses that look unapologetic [sic] suburban.
2013
If it's water views you want, it's water views you get through the floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors of this one-storey backsplit home.

References

  • COD-2
  • OED-3

Images

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 10 Sep. 2013

Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 10 Sep. 2013