rear
- rear
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rear (
n.) "
hindmost part,"
c.1600, abstracted from
rerewarde "
rear guard" (
c.1300), from
Anglo-Fr. rerewarde, O.Fr. rieregarde, from
O.Fr. riere (from
L. retro "
back, behind") +
O.Fr. garde (see
GUARD (
Cf. guard)). Or the word may be an
aphetic form of
arrear (see
ARREARS (
Cf. arrears)). Military sense of "
hindmost part" of an army or fleet is recorded from
c.1600. As a euphemism for "
buttocks" it is attested from 1796 (
rear end in this sense recorded from 1937).
Rear admiral is first attested 1580s, apparently so called from ranking "
behind" an admiral proper.
Rear-view (mirror) is recorded from 1926.
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rear (
v.)
O.E. ræran "
to raise, build up, set on end," from
P.Gmc. *raizijanau "
to raise," causative of
*risanan "
to rise" (see
RAISE (
Cf. raise)). 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.
Etymology dictionary.
2014.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
Rear — Rear, a. Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost; as, the rear rank of a company. [1913 Webster] {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 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Rear — Rear, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Reared} (r[=e]rd); 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 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
rear — rear1 [rir] n. [prob. back form. < REAR(WARD), REAR (GUARD)] 1. the back or hind part of something 2. the place or position behind or at the back [at the rear of the house] 3. the part of a military or naval force farthest from the enemy ☆ 4 … English World dictionary
rear — [adj] back, end aft, after, astern, backward, behind, dorsal, following, hind, hinder, hindermost, hindmost, last, mizzen, posterior, postern, rearmost, rearward, retral, reverse, stern, tail; concept 583 Ant. beginning, front rear [n] back or… … New thesaurus
rear — Ⅰ. rear [1] ► NOUN 1) the back or hindmost part of something. 2) (also rear end) informal a person s buttocks. ► ADJECTIVE ▪ at the back. ● bring up the rear Cf. ↑ … English terms dictionary
rear- — comb. form, partly of OF. or AF. origin, as in rear ward, guard, rearsupper (and hence by analogy in rear admiral, feast, freight), partly ad. F. arrière , as in rear vassal, vault, and partly (from c 1600) an attributive use of rear n … Useful english dictionary
Rear — (r[=e]r), v. t. To place in the rear; to secure the rear of. [R.] [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Rear — Rear, n. [OF. riere behind, backward, fr. L. retro. Cf. {Arrear}.] 1. The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last in order; opposed to {front}. [1913 Webster] Nipped with the lagging rear of winter s frost. Milton. [1913 Webster] 2.… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Rear — may be used as a noun and a verb and has several meanings: * Rear (military) the area of a battlefield behind the front line *Animals: **In stockbreeding, to breed and raise **Rear (horse), when a horse lifts its front legs off the ground *Rear… … Wikipedia
rear up — ˈrear up [intransitive] [present tense I/you/we/they rear up he/she/it rears up present participle rearing up past tense reared up past part … Useful english dictionary
Rear — (r[=e]r), adv. Early; soon. [Prov. Eng.] [1913 Webster] Then why does Cuddy leave his cot so rear? Gay. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
