rear

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Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Adjective 1.2.1.1 Antonyms 1.2.1.2 Translations 1.2.2 Adverb 1.2.3 Noun 1.2.3.1 Synonyms 1.2.3.2 Translations 1.2.3.3 Derived terms 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Verb 1.3.1.1 Usage notes 1.3.1.2 Synonyms 1.3.1.3 Translations 1.4 Anagrams

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• (Canadian, UK) IPA: /ˈrɪɚ/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes -ɪə(r)

[edit] Etymology 1

Ultimately from Latin retro; confer arrear.

[edit] Adjective

rear (not comparable)

1. Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost; as, the rear rank of a company.

[edit] Antonyms

• front

[edit] Translations

[edit] Adverb

rear (comparative more rear, superlative most rear)

1. (British, dialectal) early; soon

   • Then why does Cuddy leave his cot so rear! -- John Gay.

[edit] Noun

rear (plural rears)

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. (military) 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

3. (anatomy) The buttocks, a creature's bottom

[edit] Synonyms

• (buttocks) rear end

[edit] Translations

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Etymology 2

From Old English ræran

[edit] Verb

to rear (third-person singular simple present rears, present participle rearing, simple past and past participle reared)

1. (transitive) To raise physically; to lift up; to cause to rise, to elevate.

   • In adoration at his feet I fell Submiss; he reared me. — Milton
   • Mine [shall be] the first hand to rear her banner. — Lord Lytton

2. (transitive) To construct by building; to set up; as, to rear defenses or houses; to rear one government on the ruins of another.

   • One reared a font of stone. — Alfred Tennyson

3. (transitive) To raise spiritually; to lift up; to elevate morally.

   • It reareth our hearts from vain thoughts. — Isaac Barrow

4. (transitive, obsolete) To lift and take up.

   • And having her from Trompart lightly reared, Upon his set the lovely load. — Edmund Spenser

5. (transitive) To bring up to maturity, as offspring; to educate; to instruct; to foster.

   • He wants a father to protect his youth, and rear him up to virtue. — Thomas Southerne

6. (transitive) To breed and raise; as, to rear cattle (cattle-rearing).
7. (transitive, obsolete) To rouse; to strip up.

   • And seeks the tusky boar to rear. — John Dryden

8. (intransitive) To rise up on the hind legs, as a bolting horse.

[edit] Usage notes

See note under raise.

[edit] Synonyms

sense rise up on the hind legs

• prance

• build
• elevate
• erect
• establish
• lift
• raise

[edit] Translations

[edit] Anagrams

• rare