/bi huynd"/ , prep.
1. at or toward the rear of: Look behind the house.
2. not keeping up with, later than; after: behind schedule.
3. in the state of making less progress than: We can't afford to fall behind our competitors.
4. on the farther side of; beyond: behind the mountain.
5. originating, supporting, or promoting: Who's behind this program?
6. hidden or unrevealed by: Malice lay behind her smile.
7. at the controls of: behind the wheel of a car.
adv.
8. at or toward the rear; rearward: to lag behind.
9. in a place, state, or stage already passed.
10. in arrears; behindhand: to be behind in one's rent.
11. slow, as a watch or clock: more than 20 minutes behind.
12. as a cause or often latent feature of: Behind their harassment lay the traditional fear of foreigners.
13. in a situation that exists afterward: The victim left behind a large family.
14. Archaic. in reserve; to come: Greater support is yet behind.
adj.
15. following: the man behind.
n.
16. Informal. the buttocks.
[ bef. 900; ME behinde ( n ), OE behindan; for adv. suffix -an cf. BEFORE. See BE-, HIND 1 ]
Syn. 1, 2. BEHIND, AFTER both refer to a position following something else. BEHIND applies primarily to position in space, and suggests that one person or thing is at the back of another; it may also refer to (a fixed) time: He stood behind the chair. You are behind the appointed time. AFTER applies primarily to time; when it denotes position in space, it is not used with precision, and refers usually to bodies in motion: Rest after a hard day's work. They entered the room, one after another.
Usage . See back 1 .