rear
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the back part of something, such as a car, a building, or a line of people.
n.the back or hindmost part of an object, structure, or formation.
Simple“The garden is located at the rear of the house, away from the noisy street.”
In context“The delivery truck was forced to park at the rear of the warehouse because the main entrance was blocked by construction equipment.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a polite or slightly formal word for a person's bottom.
n.the buttocks or posterior of a human body; often used as a euphemism in medical or formal contexts.
Simple“The doctor asked the patient to lie on their side and relax their rear.”
In context“He slipped on the icy pavement and landed squarely on his rear, much to the amusement of the passing commuters.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.the part of an army or a group of ships that is at the very back.
n.the section of a military force or fleet that is stationed furthest from the enemy or at the end of a column.
Simple“The supply wagons were kept in the rear to protect them from the attack.”
In context“The general ordered the cavalry to protect the rear of the column while the infantry advanced through the narrow mountain pass.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to care for and help a child or a young animal grow up.
v.to bring up and care for offspring until they are fully grown; often used for livestock or in formal discussions of parenting.
Simple“She was born in the city but reared in a small village by the sea.”
In context“The farmer had spent his entire life rearing prize-winning cattle for the regional agricultural shows.”
- 05 B1 Intermediate
adj.describing something that is at the back.
adj.positioned at or towards the back of something; non-gradable adjective.
Simple“The car has rear doors that open in a special way.”
In context“The vehicle was equipped with rear sensors to assist the driver when reversing into tight parking spaces.”
Usage rear seat
“Ituen died of multiple stab wounds to his head and neck in the rear yard of a Coxwell Ave.”
“Two vehicles were travelling southbound towards Dublin when Vehicle two collided with the rear of Vehicle one.”
From Middle English reren (“to raise”), from Old English rǣran (“to raise, set upright, promote, exalt, begin, create, give rise to, excite, rouse, arouse, stir up”), from Proto-West Germanic raiʀijan, from Proto-Germanic raizijaną, raisijaną (“to cause to rise, raise”), from Proto-Indo-European h₁rey- (“to lift oneself, rise”). Cognate with Scots rere (“to construct, build, rear”), Icelandic reisa (“to raise”), Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽 (raisjan, “to cause to rise, lift up, establish”), German reisen (“to travel”, literally “to rear up and depart”); and a doublet of raise. More at rise. Related to rise and raise, which is used for several of its now archaic or obsolete senses and for some of its senses that are currently more common in other dialects of English.
From Middle English rere, from Anglo-Norman rere, ultimately from Latin retro. Compare arrear. Doublet of retro.
From Middle English reren, from Old English hrēran (“to move, shake, agitate”), from Proto-Germanic hrōzijaną (“to stir”), from Proto-Indo-European ḱroHs- (“to mix, stir, cook”). Cognate with Dutch roeren (“to stir, shake, whip”), German rühren (“to stir, beat, move”), Swedish röra (“to touch, move, stir”), Icelandic hræra (“to stir”).
From Middle English rere, from Old English hrēr, hrēre (“not thoroughly cooked, underdone, lightly boiled”), from hrēran (“to move, shake, agitate”), from Proto-Germanic hrōzijaną (“to stir”), from Proto-Indo-European ḱroHs- (“to mix, stir, cook”). Related to Old English hrōr (“stirring, busy, active, strong, brave”), Dutch roeren (“to stir, shake, whip”), German rühren (“to stir, beat, move”), Swedish röra (“to touch, move, stir”), Icelandic hræra (“to stir”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.