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definitions

rear

1
[reer]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rear ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Idioms

    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

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; aphetic variant of arrear

Synonym study

5. See back1.

rear

2
[reer]

verb (used with object)

to take care of and support up to maturity: to rear a child.
to breed and raise (livestock).
to raise by building; erect.
to raise to an upright position: to rear a ladder.
to lift or hold up; elevate; raise.

verb (used without object)

to rise on the hind legs, as a horse or other animal.
(of a person) to start up in angry excitement, hot resentment, or the like (usually followed by up).
to rise high or tower aloft: The skyscraper rears high over the neighboring buildings.

Idioms

    rear its (ugly) head. head(def 85).

Origin of rear

2
before 900; Middle English reren, Old English rǣran to raise; cognate with Gothic -raisjan, Old Norse reisa
Related formsun·reared, adjectivewell-reared, adjective

Synonyms for rear

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rear ON THESAURUS.COM
1. nurture, raise. 3. construct. 5. loft.

Usage note

1. See raise.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for rear

bottom, backside, back, tail, butt, breed, educate, raise, hinder, last, reverse, behind, rearward, hind, posterior, stern, following, postern, mizzen, buttocks

Examples from the Web for rear

Contemporary Examples of rear

Historical Examples of rear

  • Two field pieces were disposed in the front and two in the rear line.

  • Better to strike the rear guard than to feather a shaft in the earth.

    The White Company

    Arthur Conan Doyle

  • At the rear of the house she shook off his arm and preceded him around the building.

    K

    Mary Roberts Rinehart

  • So that their bodies might rear up, and no man resist their attack.

  • One of these should take his position in the rear of the machine, and one at each end.

    Flying Machines

    W.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell

British Dictionary definitions for rear

rear

1

noun

the back or hind part
the area or position that lies at the backa garden at the rear of the house
the section of a military force or procession farthest from the front
the buttocksSee buttock
bring up the rear to be at the back in a procession, race, etc
in the rear at the back
(modifier) of or in the rearthe rear legs; the rear side

Word Origin for rear

C17: probably abstracted from rearward or rearguard

rear

2

verb

(tr) to care for and educate (children) until maturity; bring up; raise
(tr) to breed (animals) or grow (plants)
(tr) to place or lift (a ladder, etc) upright
(tr) to erect (a monument, building, etc); put up
(intr often foll by up) (esp of horses) to lift the front legs in the air and stand nearly upright
(intr ; often foll by up or over) (esp of tall buildings) to rise high; tower
(intr) to start with anger, resentment, etc
Derived Formsrearer, noun

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for rear
n.

"hindmost part," c.1600, abstracted from rerewarde "rear guard, hindmost part of an army or fleet" (mid-14c.), from Anglo-French rerewarde, Old French rieregarde, from Old French adverb riere "behind" (from Latin retro "back, behind;" see retro-) + Old French garde (see guard (n.)). Or the word may be a shortened form of arrear (see arrears).

As a euphemism for "buttocks" it is attested from 1796. Rear admiral is first attested 1580s, apparently so called from ranking "behind" an admiral proper. Rear-view (mirror) is recorded from 1926.

v.1

Old English ræran "to raise, build up, create, set on end; arouse, excite, stir up," from Proto-Germanic *raizijanau "to raise," causative of *risanan "to rise" (see raise (v.)). Meaning "bring into being, bring up" (as a child) is recorded from early 15c.; that of "raise up on the hind legs" is first recorded late 14c. Related: Reared; rearing.

adj.

c.1300, from Old French rere (see rear (n.)).

v.2

"attack in the rear," 17c., from rear (n.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with rear

rear

In addition to the idioms beginning with rear

  • rear end
  • rear its ugly head

also see:

  • bring up the rear
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.