kick·back /'kik-ˌbak/ n: a payment (as of money or property) made to one in a position to open up or control a source of income for the payor
◇ A kickback is specifically a payment for income received or to be received. The word is usu. not restricted to a return of funds.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.