rear
adj 1: located in or toward the back or rear; "the chair's rear
legs"; "the rear door of the plane"; "on the rearward
side" [syn: rear(a), rearward(a)]
n 1: the back of a military formation or procession;
"infantrymen were in the rear" [ant: head]
2: the side of an object that is opposite its front; "his room
was toward the rear of the hotel" [syn: rear, backside,
back end] [ant: forepart, front, front end]
3: the part of something that is furthest from the normal
viewer; "he stood at the back of the stage"; "it was hidden
in the rear of the store" [syn: back, rear] [ant:
front]
4: the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on; "he
deserves a good kick in the butt"; "are you going to sit on
your fanny and do nothing?" [syn: buttocks, nates,
arse, butt, backside, bum, buns, can,
fundament, hindquarters, hind end, keister,
posterior, prat, rear, rear end, rump, stern,
seat, tail, tail end, tooshie, tush, bottom,
behind, derriere, fanny, ass]
5: the side that goes last or is not normally seen; "he wrote
the date on the back of the photograph" [syn: rear, back]
[ant: front]
v 1: stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds; "The horse reared
in terror" [syn: rear, rise up]
2: bring up; "raise a family"; "bring up children" [syn: rear,
raise, bring up, nurture, parent]
3: rise up; "The building rose before them" [syn: rise,
lift, rear]
4: cause to rise up [syn: rear, erect]
5: construct, build, or erect; "Raise a barn" [syn: raise,
erect, rear, set up, put up] [ant: dismantle,
level, pull down, rase, raze, take down, tear
down}]
rear I. verbEtymology: Middle English reren, from Old English rǣran;
akin to Old Norse reisa to raise, Old English rīsan to rise
Date: before 12th century transitive verb1. to erect by building ;construct2. to raise
upright 3.a.(1) to breed and raise (an animal) for use or market
(2) to bring to maturity or self-sufficiency usually through
nurturing care <reared five children> <birds
rearing their young>
b. to cause (as plants) to grow 4. to cause (a horse)
to rise up on the hind legs
intransitive verb1. to rise high 2.of a
horse to rise up on the hind legs
Synonyms:seelift • rearernounII. nounEtymology: Middle English rere, short
for rerewarde rearward Date: 14th century 1. the back
part of something: as
a. the unit (as of an army) or area farthest from the enemy b.
the part of something located opposite its front <the rear
of a house> c. buttocks
2. the space or position at the back <moved to the rear>
III. adjectiveEtymology: Middle English rere-, from Anglo-French rere
backward, behind, from Latin retro- — more at retroDate:
14th century
being at the back <the rear entrance> IV. adverbDate: 1855 toward or from the rear — usually used in combination
<a rear-driven car>
rear 1. n. & adj. --n. 1 the back part of anything. 2 the space behind, or position at the back of, anything (a large house with a terrace at the rear). 3 the hindmost part of
an army or fleet. 4 colloq. the buttocks. --adj. at the back. Phrases and idioms: bring up the rear come last. in the rear behind; at the back. rear admiral a naval officer ranking
below vice admiral. rear commodore a yacht-club officer below vice commodore. rear-lamp (or -light) a usu. red light at the rear of a vehicle. rear sight the sight nearest to the stock on a firearm.
rear-view mirror a mirror fixed inside the windscreen of a motor vehicle enabling the driver to see traffic etc. behind. take in the rear Mil. attack from behind. Etymology: prob. f. (in
the) REARWARD or REARGUARD 2. v. 1 tr. a bring up and educate (children). b breed and care for (animals). c cultivate (crops). 2 intr. (of a horse etc.) raise itself on its hind
legs. 3 tr. a set upright. b build. c hold upwards (rear one's head). 4 intr. extend to a great height. Derivatives: rearer n. Etymology: OE ræran f. Gmc
rear
(rears, rearing, reared)Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1. The rear of something such as a building or vehicle is the back part of it.
He settled back in the rear of the taxi....a stairway in the rear of the building.= back
≠ front
N-SING: the N, usu N of n
• Rear is also an adjective.
Manufacturers have been obliged to fit rear seat belts in all new cars.ADJ: ADJ n
2. If you are at the rear of a moving line of people, you are the last person in
it. (FORMAL)
Musicians played at the front and rear of the procession...= back
≠ front
N-SING: the N, usu N of n
3. Your rear is the part of your body that you sit on. (INFORMAL)
I turned away from the phone to see Lewis pat a waitress on her rear.= behind
N-COUNT: usu poss N
4. If you rear children, you look after them until they are old enough to look after
themselves.
She reared sixteen children, six her own and ten her husband's...= bring up, raise
VERB: V n
5. If you rear a young animal, you keep and look after it until it is old enough to be used
for work or food, or until it can look after itself. (mainly BRIT; in AM, usually use raise)
She spends a lot of time rearing animals.VERB: V n
6. When a horse rears, it moves the front part of its body upwards, so that its front
legs are high in the air and it is standing on its back legs.
The horse reared and threw off its rider.VERB: V
7. If you say that something such as a building or mountain rears above you, you mean
that is very tall and close to you.
The exhibition hall reared above me behind a high fence...= loom
VERB: V prep/adv
8. If a person or vehicle isbringing up the rear, they are the last person or
vehicle in a moving line of them.
...police motorcyclists bringing up the rear of the procession.PHRASE: V inflects
9. If something unpleasant rears its head or rears its ugly head, it becomes
visible or noticeable.
The threat of strikes reared its head again this summer...PHRASE: V and N inflect
Rear \Rear\, a.
Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost; as, the rear
rank of a company.
Rear admiral, an officer in the navy, next in rank below a
vice admiral, and above a commodore. See Admiral.
Rear front (Mil.), the rear rank of a body of troops when
faced about and standing in that position.
Rear guard (Mil.), the division of an army that marches in
the rear of the main body to protect it; -- used also
figuratively.
Rear line (Mil.), the line in the rear of an army.
Rear rank (Mil.), the rank or line of a body of troops
which is in the rear, or last in order.
Rear sight (Firearms), the sight nearest the breech.
To bring up the rear, to come last or behind.
Rear \Rear\, n. [OF. riere behind, backward, fr. L. retro. Cf.
Arrear.]
1. The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last
on order; -- opposed to front.
Nipped with the lagging rear of winter's frost.
--Milton.
2. Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes
last, or is stationed behind the rest.
When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear.
--Milton.
Rear \Rear\, v. i.
To rise up on the hind legs, as a horse; to become erect.
Rearing bit, a bit designed to prevent a horse from lifting
his head when rearing. --Knight.
Rear \Rear\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reared; p. pr. & vb. n.
Rearing.] [AS. r[=ae]ran to raise, rear, elevate, for
r[=ae]san, causative of r[=i]san to rise. See Rise, and cf.
Raise.]
1. To raise; to lift up; to cause to rise, become erect,
etc.; to elevate; as, to rear a monolith.
In adoration at his feet I fell Submiss; he reared
me. --Milton.
It reareth our hearts from vain thoughts. --Barrow.
Mine [shall be] the first hand to rear her banner.
--Ld. Lytton.
2. To erect by building; to set up; to construct; as, to rear
defenses or houses; to rear one government on the ruins of
another.
One reared a font of stone. --Tennyson.
3. To lift and take up. [Obs. or R.]
And having her from Trompart lightly reared, Upon
his set the lovely load. --Spenser.
4. To bring up to maturity, as young; to educate; to
instruct; to foster; as, to rear offspring.
He wants a father to protect his youth, And rear him
up to virtue. --Southern.
5. To breed and raise; as, to rear cattle.
6. To rouse; to strip up. [Obs.]
And seeks the tusky boar to rear. --Dryden.
Syn: To lift; elevate; erect; raise, build; establish. See
the Note under Raise, 3
(c) .
rear
I. n.1. Hind part, background.
2. Hind part (particularly of an army).
II. a.
Rare, raw, little cooked.
III. v. a.1. Raise, elevate, lift, raise up.
2. Exalt, elevate, lift up.
3. Bring up, raise, educate, instruct, train, foster, cherish, nurse.
4. Raise, breed.
5. Stir up, rouse.
6. Build up, construct, erect.
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