*rear*

adv. [ See Arrear, adv. ] Backward; in or to the rear; behindhand. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ OE. arere, OF. arere, ariere, F. arrière, fr. L. ad + retro backward. See Rear. ] To or in the rear; behind; backwards. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. That which is behind in payment, or which remains unpaid, though due; esp. a remainder, or balance which remains due when some part has been paid; arrearage; -- commonly used in the plural, as, arrears of rent, wages, or taxes. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

For much I dread due payment by the Greeks
Of yesterday's arrear. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have a large arrear of letters to write. J. D. Forbes. [ 1913 Webster ]

In arrear or
In arrears, behind; backward; behindhand; in debt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. arrérage, fr. arrière, OF. arere. See Arrear. ] That which remains unpaid and overdue, after payment of a part; arrears. [ 1913 Webster ]

The old arrearages . . . being defrayed. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Dreary. ] Dismal; gloomy with solitude. “A drear and dying sound.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Sadness; dismalness. [ Obs. ] Spenser.

{ } n. Affliction; dreariness. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Gloomily; dismally. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Dreariness. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Sorrow; wretchedness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Dismalness; gloomy solitude. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Sorrow. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Very dreary. Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Drearier superl. Dreariest. ] [ OE. dreori, dreri, AS. dreórig, sad; akin to G. traurig, and prob. to AS. dreósan to fall, Goth. driusan. Cf. Dross, Drear, Drizzle, Drowse. ] 1. Sorrowful; distressful. [ Obs. ] “ Dreary shrieks.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Exciting cheerless sensations, feelings, or associations; comfortless; dismal; gloomy. “ Dreary shades.” Dryden. “The dreary ground.” Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Full many a dreary anxious hour. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

Johnson entered on his vocation in the most dreary part of that dreary interval which separated two ages of prosperity. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A gun, pistol, or any weapon from which a shot is discharged by the force of an explosive substance, as gunpowder. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To arm or prepare for attack or resistance before the time of need. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Anat.) That part of the arm or fore limb between the elbow and wrist; the antibrachium. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Too earnest. -- O"ver*ear"nest*ly, adv. -- O"ver*ear"nest*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To forearm. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To arrange beforehand. [ Also spelled pre-arrange. ] [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. Early; soon. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Then why does Cuddy leave his cot so rear? Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nipped with the lagging rear of winter's frost. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest. [ 1913 Webster ]

When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost; as, the rear rank of a company. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To place in the rear; to secure the rear of. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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. ] 1. To raise; to lift up; to cause to rise, become erect, etc.; to elevate; as, to rear a monolith. [ 1913 Webster ]

In adoration at his feet I fell
Submiss; he reared me. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

It reareth our hearts from vain thoughts. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mine [ shall be ] the first hand to rear her banner. Ld. Lytton. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

One reared a font of stone. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To lift and take up. [ Obs. or R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And having her from Trompart lightly reared,
Upon his courser set the lovely load. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To bring up to maturity, as young; to educate; to instruct; to foster; as, to rear offspring. [ 1913 Webster ]

He wants a father to protect his youth,
And rear him up to virtue. Southern. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To breed and raise; as, to rear cattle. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To rouse; to stir up. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And seeks the tusky boar to rear. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To lift; elevate; erect; raise; build; establish. See the Note under Raise, 3 (c). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To rise up on the hind legs, as a horse; to become erect. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rearing bit, a bit designed to prevent a horse from lifting his head when rearing. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. A reredos. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, rears. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To argue anew or again; as, This politician will be forced into re-arguing an old national campaign. Usually used without the hyphen. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. An arguing over again, as of a motion made in court. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ So called because it rears up when disturbed. ] (Zool.) A mantis. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Early. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To become armed again; as, after the war, the defeated country rapidly rearmed. Usually used without the hyphen. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To arm (a person, group, or country) again; as, After the war, the defeated country was not rearmed by the victors. Usually used without the hyphen.
Syn. -- rearm. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Farthest in the rear; last. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. [ AS. hrēremūs; probably fr. hrēran to agitate, stir (akin to G. rühren, Icel. hræra) + mūs mouse. ] (Zool.) The leather-winged bat (Vespertilio murinus). [ Written also reermouse. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To arrange again; to put into a different order; to arrange in a different way; as, Please re-arrange these files in alphabetical order. Usually used without the hyphen. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The act of rearranging, or the state of being rearranged. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Rear + ward. ] The last troop; the rear of an army; a rear guard. Also used figuratively. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & adv. At or toward the rear. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A machine for crushing or hammering stone. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]