rear

[ reer ]

/ rɪər /

|||

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.

Nearby words

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

First recorded in 1590–1600; aphetic variant of arrear

Synonym study

5. See back¹.

rear

[ reer ]

/ rɪər /

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.

Origin of rear

before 900; Middle English reren, Old English rǣran to raise; cognate with Gothic -raisjan, Old Norse reisa

SYNONYMS FOR rear

1. nurture, raise. 3. construct. 5. loft.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR rear ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsun·reared, adjectivewell-reared, adjective

Usage note

1. See raise.

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

Examples from the Web for rear

Shouts came from the rear of the crowd for “no violence,” shouts that went largely unheeded.
Mexican Protesters Look to Start a New Revolution|Jason McGahan|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the rear end of the park is a wall or divider maybe six or seven feet high and about twice that wide.
Inside Hebron, Israel’s Heart of Darkness|Michael Tomasky|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kitty staggered around the corner to the rear of her building, trying to make it home.
The Myth of the Central Park Five|Edward Conlon|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is a crash and gray smoke billows from the rear of the tank.
Turkish President Kisses Off Kurds Under Siege By ISIS|Jamie Dettmer|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

What is there to prevent Sherman taking General Lee in the rear?
Atlanta’s Fall Foretold The End Of Civil War Bloodshed|Marc Wortman|September 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The men rode toward the rear of the herd, one on each side, and Arlie fell in beside her old playmate, Dick.
A Texas Ranger|William MacLeod Raine
Before Frederic could reply, the two men were jostled and swept on by a sudden rush of a noisy crowd in their rear.
The Parisians, Complete|Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Seeing his Pawnees were some distance in the rear, the whole party turned on Major North.
The Story of the First Trans-Continental Railroad|W. F. Bailey.
At the rear, a doorway, heavily curtained, leads into another room.
Fifty Contemporary One-Act Plays|Various
It is not only loving birds that build their nests and rear their young over the horns of forgotten fears, but, alas!
Demonology and Devil-lore|Moncure Daniel Conway

British Dictionary definitions for rear

rear

/ (rɪə) /

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

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

rear

"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.

rear

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.).

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

rear

noun

adjective

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of rear

Synonym study

rear

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of rear

Usage note

Examples from the Web for rear

rear

noun

Word Origin for rear

verb

Word Origin for rear

rear

rear

rear