Etymology : Middle English reren, from Old English r[AE]ran; akin to Old Norse reisa to raise, Old English rIsan to rise
Pronunciation : 'rir,
vt4 & vi2 are als
Function : verb
Date : before 12th century
1. back end; hindmost unit of an army (or fleet, etc.). raise, bring up; erect, construct; raise, lift, elevate; rise onto the hind legs. back, hind. rear\rear\ , v. t. to place in the rear; to secure the rear of. [r.]rear \rear\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. reared ; p. pr. & vb. n. rearing.] [as. r&aemacr;ran to raise, rear, elevate, for r&aemacr;san, causative of rīsan to rise. see:
rise, and cf. raise.].
2. 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. lytton.
3. 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.
4. to lift and take up. [obs. or r.] and having her from trompart lightly reared, upon his set the lovely load.
5. 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. ern.
6. to breed and raise; as, to rear cattle.
7. to rouse; to strip up. [obs.] and seeks the tusky boar to rear.
8. Early; soon.
9. The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last in order; opposed to front.
10. Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest.
11. Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost; as, the rear rank of a company.
12. To place in the rear; to secure the rear of.
13. To raise; to lift up; to cause to rise, become erect, etc.; to elevate; as, to rear a monolith.
14. To erect by building; to set up; to construct; as, to rear defenses or houses; to rear one government on the ruins of another.
15. To lift and take up.
16. To bring up to maturity, as young; to educate; to instruct; to foster; as, to rear offspring.
17. To breed and raise; as, to rear cattle.
18. To rouse; to stir up.
19. To rise up on the hind legs, as a horse; to become erect. the side that goes last or is not normally seen; "he wrote the date on the back of the photograph" the back of a military formation or procession; "infantrymen were in the rear" the side of an object that is opposite its front; "his room was toward the rear of the hotel" stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds; "The horse reared in terror" cause to rise up bring up; "raise a family"; "bring up children".
20. 1. The rear of something such as a building or vehicle is the back part of it. He settled back in the rear of the taxi. a stairway in the rear of the building. = back ¡Ù front Rear is also an adjective. Manufacturers have been obliged to fit rear seat belts in all new cars.
21. If you are at the rear of a moving line of people, you are the last person in it. Musicians played at the front and rear of the procession = back ¡Ù front.
22. Your rear is the part of your body that you sit on. I turned away from the phone to see:
Lewis pat a waitress on her rear. = behind.
23. If you rear children, you look after them until they are old enough to look after themselves. She reared sixteen children, six her own and ten her husband's = bring up, raise.
24. If you rear a young animal, you keep and look after it until it is old enough to be used for work or food, or until it can look after itself. She spends a lot of time rearing animals.
25. When a horse rears, it moves the front part of its body upwards, so that its front legs are high in the air and it is standing on its back legs. The horse reared and threw off its rider.
26. If you say that something such as a building or mountain rears above you, you mean that is very tall and close to you. The exhibition hall reared above me behind a high fence = loom.
27. If a person or vehicle is bringing up the rear, they are the last person or vehicle in a moving line of them. police motorcyclists bringing up the rear of the procession.
28. If something unpleasant rears its head or rears its ugly head, it becomes visible or noticeable. The threat of strikes reared its head again this summer.