rear

¹ American  

[reer] / rɪər /

noun

1. the back of something, as distinguished from the front.

   The porch is at the rear of the house.

2. the space or position behind something.

   The bus driver asked the passengers to move to the rear.

3. the buttocks; rump.

4. the hindmost portion of an army, fleet, etc.

---

adjective

1. pertaining to or situated at the rear of something.

   the rear door of a bus.

idioms

1. bring up the rear,  to be at the end; follow behind.

   The army retreated, and the fleeing civilian population brought up the rear.

rear ² American  

[reer] / rɪər /

verb (used with object)

1. to take care of and support up to maturity.

   to rear a child.

   Synonyms:

   raise , nurture

2. to breed and raise (livestock).

3. to raise by building; erect.

   Synonyms:

   construct

4. to raise to an upright position.

   to rear a ladder.

5. to lift or hold up; elevate; raise.

   Synonyms:

   lift , lift , hoist

---

verb (used without object)

1. to rise on the hind legs, as a horse or other animal.

2. (of a person) to start up in angry excitement, hot resentment, or the like (usually followed byup ).

3. to rise high or tower aloft.

   The skyscraper rears high over the neighboring buildings.

idioms

1. rear its (ugly) head.  head.

rear ¹ British  

/ rɪə /

noun

1. the back or hind part

2. the area or position that lies at the back

   a garden at the rear of the house

3. the section of a military force or procession farthest from the front

4. the buttocks See buttock

5. to be at the back in a procession, race, etc

6. at the back

7. (modifier) of or in the rear

   the rear legs

   the rear side

---

rear ² British  

/ rɪə /

verb

1. (tr) to care for and educate (children) until maturity; bring up; raise

2. (tr) to breed (animals) or grow (plants)

3. (tr) to place or lift (a ladder, etc) upright

4. (tr) to erect (a monument, building, etc); put up

5. (esp of horses) to lift the front legs in the air and stand nearly upright

6. (intr; often foll by up or over) (esp of tall buildings) to rise high; tower

7. (intr) to start with anger, resentment, etc

---

rear More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing rear

• bring up the rear

---

Commonly Confused

See raise.

Related Words

See back ¹.

Other Word Forms

• rearer noun
• unreared adjective
• well-reared adjective

Etymology

Origin of rear¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; shortened variant of arrear

Origin of rear²

First recorded before 900; Middle English reren, ræren, reare, Old English rǣran “to raise ”; cognate with Gothic -raisjan, Old Norse reisa

Example Sentences

A few months ago, such rear areas were relatively safe.

From The Wall Street Journal

The information-technology sector has brought up the rear for a change.

From MarketWatch

On Norris' car, two of the skids were illegal - one at the front by 0.12mm and one at the rear by 0.07mm.

From BBC

But this was a night where his side's vulnerabilities at the back, and on the road, reared their head again.

From BBC

In initial field trials, colonies that received synthetic pheromone blends containing methyl oleate were far less likely to begin rearing replacement queens than colonies given blends without it.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• back
• back door
• back end
• backside
• bottom
• butt
• rear end
• tail