Webster
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Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Rear

Rear (rēr), adv. Early; soon. [Prov. Eng.]

Then why does Cuddy leave his cot so rear? Gay.

Rear, n. [OF. riere behind, backward, fr. L. retro. Cf. Arrear.] 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. Milton.

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. Milton.

Rear, a. 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.

Rear (rēr), v. t. To place in the rear; to secure the rear of. [R.]

Rear, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reared (rērd); p. pr. & vb. n. Rearing.] [AS. rǣran to raise, rear, elevate, for rǣsan, causative of rīsan to rise. See Rise, and cf. Raise.] 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. Milton.

It reareth our hearts from vain thoughts. Barrow.

Mine [shall be] the first hand to rear her banner. Ld. Lytton.

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. Tennyson.

3. To lift and take up. [Obs. or R.]

And having her from Trompart lightly reared, Upon his courser set the lovely load. Spenser.

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. Southern.

5. To breed and raise; as, to rear cattle.

6. To rouse; to stir up. [Obs.]

And seeks the tusky boar to rear. Dryden.

Syn. — 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. Knight.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Noah Porter, editor (Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913). Public domain. Text as transcribed by MICRA, Inc., from Project Gutenberg. Changed for Deep Dive Bible: Greek, which our source spelled in Latin letters, set in Greek letters; entries of one spelling merged into one article; Greek words our source left out (shown as “?”), read from the 1898 printing, from the same plates (the Library of Congress’s copy), where the place could be found with certainty. Of the others, 1,362 (a word or a single letter each) were inferred by AI from the context by the dictionary’s own rules and are marked with a wavy underline (tap or point at one to see the note); the rest, which could not be inferred with confidence, are left as “?”.