I. rear 1 /rɪə $ rɪr/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Probably from rear- (in words such as rearguard ) ]
1 . formal the rear the back part of an object, vehicle, or building, or a position at the back of an object or area OPP front
at/to the rear (of something)
a garden at the rear of the house
The hotel overlooks the river to the rear.
in the rear (of something)
a passenger travelling in the rear of a car
2 . [countable] ( also rear end ) informal the part of your body which you sit on SYN bottom
3 . bring up the rear to be at the back of a line of people or in a race:
Carole was left to bring up the rear.
II. rear 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: ræran ]
1 . [transitive] to look after a person or animal until they are fully grown SYN raise :
It’s a good place to rear young children.
The birds have been successfully reared in captivity.
2 . [intransitive] ( also rear up ) if an animal rears, it rises up to stand on its back legs ⇨ buck :
The horse reared and threw me off.
3 . [intransitive] ( also rear up ) if something rears up, it appears in front of you and often seems to be leaning over you in a threatening way:
A large rock, almost 200 feet high, reared up in front of them.
4 . be reared on something to be given a particular kind of food, books, entertainment etc regularly while you are a child:
children reared on TV and video games
5 . rear its ugly head if a problem or difficult situation rears its ugly head, it appears and is impossible to ignore:
The problem of drug-taking in sport has reared its ugly head again.
III. rear 3 BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
at or near the back of something, especially a vehicle OPP front :
the rear door of the car
Knock at the rear entrance.