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rear

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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rearon Wikipedia

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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FromMiddle Englishreren(“to raise”),fromOld Englishrǣran(“to raise, set upright, promote, exalt, begin, create, give rise to, excite, rouse, arouse, stir up”),fromProto-West Germanic*raiʀijan,fromProto-Germanic*raizijaną,*raisijaną(“to cause to rise, raise”),fromProto-Indo-European*h₁rey-(“to lift oneself, rise”).

Cognate withScotsrere(“to construct, build, rear”),Icelandicreisa(“to raise”),Gothic𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍃𐌾𐌰𐌽(raisjan,“to cause to rise, lift up, establish”),Germanreisen(“to travel”,literally“to rear up and depart”);and adoubletofraise.More atrise.

Related toriseandraise,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.

Alternative forms

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Verb

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rear(third-person singular simple presentrears,present participlerearing,simple past and past participlereared)

Arearinghorse (3).
  1. (transitive)Tobring upto maturity, as offspring; toeducate;toinstruct;tofoster.
    • 1694,Thomas Southerne,Isabella: Or The Fatal Marriage:
      He wants a father to protect his youth, andrearhim up to virtue.
  2. (transitive,said of people towards animals)Tobreedand raise.
    The family has beenrearingcattle for 200 years.
  3. (intransitive)Torise upon the hind legs
    The horse was shocked, and thusreared.
  4. (intransitive,usually with "up")To get angry.
  5. (intransitive)To rise high above,towerabove.
  6. (transitive,literary)Toraisephysically or metaphorically; to lift up; to cause to rise, to elevate.
    Povertyrearedits ugly head.(appeared, started, began to have an effect)
    The monster slowlyrearedits head.
    • 1667,John Milton,“Book VII”, inParadise Lost.[…],London:[…][Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker[…];[a]nd by Robert Boulter[…];[a]nd Matthias Walker,[…],→OCLC;republished asParadise Lost in Ten Books:[…],London: Basil Montagu Pickering[…],1873,→OCLC:
      In adoration at his feet I fell Submiss; herearedme.
    • 1835,Lord Lytton,Rienzi, the Last of the Roman Tribunes:
      Mine [shall be] the first hand torearher banner.
  7. (transitive,rare)Toconstructby building; to set up
    toreardefenses or houses
    torearone government on the ruins of another.
  8. (transitive,rare)Toraisespiritually; to lift up; toelevatemorally.
    • 1700,Isaac Barrow,Of Industry...:
      Itrearethour hearts from vain thoughts.
  9. (transitive,obsolete)Toliftandtake up.
  10. (transitive,obsolete)Torouse;to strip up.
    • 1684,John Dryden,The Second Epode of Horace:
      And seeks the tusky boar torear.
Usage notes
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  • It is standard US English toraisechildren, and this usage has become common in all kinds of English since the 1700s. Until fairly recently, however, US teachers taught the traditional rule that one should raise crops and animals, but rear children, despite the fact that this contradicted general usage. It is therefore not surprising that some people still prefer to rear children and that this is considered correct but formal in US English. It is widespread in UK English and not considered formal.
  • It is generally considered incorrect to rear crops or (adult) animals in US English, but this expression is common in UK English.
Synonyms
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  • (rise up on the hind legs):prance
Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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FromMiddle Englishrere,fromAnglo-Normanrere,ultimately fromLatinretro.Comparearrear.Doubletofretro.

Adjective

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rear(notcomparable)

  1. Beingbehind,or in thehindmostpart; hindmost
    therearrank of a company
    sit in therearseats of a car
Antonyms
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Translations
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Adverb

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rear(notcomparable)

  1. (British,dialect)early;soon
    • 1714,John Gay,The Shepherd's Week:
      Then why does Cuddy leave his cot sorear!

Noun

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rear(pluralrears)

  1. Thebackor hindmost part; that which is behind, or last in order.
    Antonym:front
  2. (military)Specifically, the part of anarmyorfleetwhich comes last, or is stationed behind the rest.
    • 1667,John Milton,“Book II”, inParadise Lost.[…],London:[…][Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker[…];[a]nd by Robert Boulter[…];[a]nd Matthias Walker,[…],→OCLC;republished asParadise Lost in Ten Books:[…],London: Basil Montagu Pickering[…],1873,→OCLC,line78:
      When the fierce Foe hung on our brok'nRear
  3. (anatomy)Thebuttocksorbottom.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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the posterior, butt(ocks)- only terms with directional notion
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Verb

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rear(third-person singular simple presentrears,present participlerearing,simple past and past participlereared)

  1. To place in the rear; to secure the rear of.
  2. (transitive,vulgar,British)Tosodomize(perform anal sex)
Derived terms
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Terms derived fromrear (adjective and noun)

Etymology 3

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FromMiddle Englishreren,fromOld Englishhrēran(“to move, shake, agitate”),fromProto-Germanic*hrōzijaną(“to stir”),fromProto-Indo-European*ḱroHs-(“to mix, stir, cook”).Cognate withDutchroeren(“to stir, shake, whip”),Germanrühren(“to stir, beat, move”),Swedishröra(“to touch, move, stir”),Icelandichræra(“to stir”).

Alternative forms

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Verb

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rear(third-person singular simple presentrears,present participlerearing,simple past and past participlereared)

  1. (transitive)Tomove;stir.
  2. (transitive,of geese)Tocarve.
    Rearthat goose!
  3. (regional, obsolete)Torevive,bringtolife,quicken.(only in the phrase,to rear to life)
    He healeth the blind and herearethto life the dead.
    (Speculum Sacerdotale c. 15th century)
Usage notes
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References
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Etymology 4

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FromMiddle Englishrere,fromOld Englishhrēr,hrēre(“not thoroughly cooked, underdone, lightly boiled”),fromhrēran(“to move, shake, agitate”),fromProto-Germanic*hrōzijaną(“to stir”),fromProto-Indo-European*ḱroHs-(“to mix, stir, cook”).Related toOld Englishhrōr(“stirring, busy, active, strong, brave”),Dutchroeren(“to stir, shake, whip”),Germanrühren(“to stir, beat, move”),Swedishröra(“to touch, move, stir”),Icelandichræra(“to stir”).

Alternative forms

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Adjective

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rear(comparativerearerormorerear,superlativerearestormostrear)

  1. (now chieflydialectal)(of eggs)Underdone;nearlyraw.
  2. (chieflyUS)(of meats)Rare.
    • 2017,Dr. Ardeshir Irani,Short Tales of the Old Wild West:
      Fred ordered arearsteak along with a glass of beer as he took a seat at an empty table
Derived terms
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Anagrams

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Latin

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Verb

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rear

  1. first-personsingularpresentactivesubjunctiveofreor

Swedish

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Verb

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rear

  1. presentindicativeofrea

Anagrams

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