rear
1[ reer ]
/ rɪər /
noun
the back of something, as distinguished from the front: The porch is at the rear of the house.
the space or position behind something: The bus driver asked the passengers to move to the rear.
the buttocks; rump.
the hindmost portion of an army, fleet, etc.
adjective
pertaining to or situated at the rear of something: the rear door of a bus.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Idioms for rear
bring up the rear, to be at the end; follow behind: The army retreated, and the fleeing civilian population brought up the rear.
Origin of rear
1First recorded in 1590–1600; aphetic variant of arrear
synonym study for rear
5. See back1.
Words nearby rear
Definition for rear (2 of 2)
rear2
[ reer ]
/ rɪər /
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
Origin of rear
2before 900; Middle English reren,Old English rǣran to raise; cognate with Gothic -raisjan,Old Norse reisa
words often confused with rear
1. See raise.
OTHER WORDS FROM rear
un·reared, adjectivewell-reared, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for rear (1 of 2)
rear1
/ (rɪə) /
noun
Word Origin for rear
C17: probably abstracted from rearward or rearguard
British Dictionary definitions for rear (2 of 2)
rear2
/ (rɪə) /
verb
Derived forms of rear
rearer, nounWord Origin for rear
Old English rǣran; related to Old High German rēren to distribute, Old Norse reisa to raise
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with rear
rear
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.