rear
1[ reer ]
/ rɪər /
Save This Word!
noun
adjective
pertaining to or situated at the rear of something: the rear door of a bus.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Idioms about 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; shortened variant of arrear
synonym study for rear
5. See back1.
Other definitions for rear (2 of 2)
rear2
[ reer ]
/ rɪər /
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
Origin of rear
2First recorded before 900; Middle English reren, ræren, reare, 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. 2023
How to use rear in a sentence
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
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other 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.