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Rear   /rɪr/   Listen
adjective
Rear  adj.  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.


noun
Rear  n.  
1.
The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last in order; opposed to front. "Nipped with the lagging rear of winter's frost."
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."


verb
Rear  v. t.  To place in the rear; to secure the rear of. (R.)


Rear  v. t.  (past & past part. reared; pres. part. rearing)  
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." "It reareth our hearts from vain thoughts." "Mine (shall be) the first hand to rear her banner."
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."
3.
To lift and take up. (Obs. or R.) "And having her from Trompart lightly reared, Upon his courser set the lovely load."
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."
5.
To breed and raise; as, to rear cattle.
6.
To rouse; to stir up. (Obs.) "And seeks the tusky boar to rear."
Synonyms: To lift; elevate; erect; raise; build; establish. See the Note under Raise, 3 (c).


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.


adverb
Rear  adv.  Early; soon. (Prov. Eng.) "Then why does Cuddy leave his cot so rear?"





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Rear" Quotes from Famous Books



... amigos," commented Sanchez as a quintet of grinning vaqueros rode up from the rear. "As you have so aptly said, the necessities ...
— Port O' Gold • Louis John Stellman
... down. The army was ordered to be in readiness to march early on the next morning. The main body effected a crossing over Buffalo Bayou, below Harrisburg, on the morning of the 19th, having left the baggage, the sick, and a sufficient camp guard in the rear. We continued the march throughout the night, making but one halt in the prairie for a short time, and ...
— Southern Literature From 1579-1895 • Louise Manly
... that this would be impossible, but the force will camp near the city, and seeing the smallness of their number, the people of Bruges will surely sally out and attack them. Then they will do their best for victory, and if they beat the enemy our men will follow on their rear hotly and enter ...
— A March on London • G. A. Henty
... because she heard I was in better hands than hers. It was Lord Rintoul who found me, and I owe everything to him. You will say that he has no need to be proud of me. He took me home on his horse, and paid his gardener's wife to rear me. She was Scotch, and that is why I can speak two languages. It was he, too, who sent me ...
— The Little Minister • J.M. Barrie
... curiously stamped, reposing on a bed of fresh, green leaves,—while currants, red and white, and delicious cherries and raspberries, gave a final finish to the picture. From a basket which Miss Prissy brought in from the rear appeared cold fowl and tongue delicately prepared, and shaded with feathers of parsley. Candace, whose rollicking delight in the good things of this life was conspicuous in every emotion, might have furnished to a painter, as she sat in her brilliant turban, ...
— Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 4, No. 25, November, 1859 • Various


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