rear
1
[ reer ]
/ rɪər /
noun
the back of something, as distinguished from the front: The porch is at the rear of the house.
the space or position behind something: The bus driver asked the passengers to move to the rear.
the buttocks; rump.
the hindmost portion of an army, fleet, etc.
adjective
pertaining to or situated at the rear of something: the rear door of a bus.
Idioms for rear
bring up the rear,
to be at the end; follow behind: The army retreated, and the fleeing civilian population brought up the rear.
Origin of rear
1
First recorded in 1590–1600; aphetic variant of
arrear
synonym study for rear
5. See
back1.
Words nearby rear
British Dictionary definitions for bring up the rear (1 of 2)
rear
1
/ (rɪə) /
noun
Word Origin for rear
C17: probably abstracted from
rearward or
rearguard
British Dictionary definitions for bring up the rear (2 of 2)
rear
2
/ (rɪə) /
verb
Derived forms of rear
rearer, nounWord Origin for rear
Old English
rǣran; related to Old High German
rēren to distribute, Old Norse
reisa to
raise
Idioms and Phrases with bring up the rear (1 of 2)
bring up the rear
Be last in a line or sequence, as in As a slow walker, I'm used to bringing up the rear, or In test results Tom always brought up the rear. This term almost certainly came from the military but the earliest citation given by the Oxford English Dictionary is from a 1643 religious treatise by Sir Thomas Browne: “My desires onely are . . . to be but the last man, and bring up the Rere in Heaven.”
Idioms and Phrases with bring up the rear (2 of 2)
rear