• (America) IPA: /ɹɪɹ/, /ɹiɹ/
• (RP) IPA: /ɹɪə/

rear (rears, present participle rearing; past and past participle reared)

1. (transitive) To bring up to maturity, as offspring; to educate; to instruct; to foster.

   • He wants a father to protect his youth, and rear him up to virtue.

2. (transitive, said of people towards animals) To breed and raise.

   The family has been rearing cattle for 200 years.

3. (intransitive) To rise up on the hind legs

   The horse was shocked, and thus reared.

4. (intransitive, usually with "up") To get angry.
5. (intransitive) To rise high above, tower above.
6. (transitive, literary) To raise physically or metaphorically; to lift up; to cause to rise, to elevate.

   Poverty reared its ugly head. appeared, started, began to have an effect

   The monster slowly reared its head.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book 7”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708 ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554 ↗:

     In adoration at his feet I fell Submiss; he reared me.

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

7. (transitive, rare) To construct by building; to set up

   to rear defenses or houses

   to rear one government on the ruins of another.

   • 1847, Alfred Tennyson, The Princess: A Medley, London: Edward Moxon, […], OCLC 2024748 ↗, prologue:

     One reared a font of stone.

8. (transitive, rare) To raise spiritually; to lift up; to elevate morally.

   • It reareth our hearts from vain thoughts.

9. (transitive, obsolete) To lift and take up.

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

10. (transitive, obsolete) To rouse; to strip up.

    • And seeks the tusky boar to rear.

• (rise up on the hind legs) prance
• build
• elevate
• erect
• establish
• lift
• raise

• French: ériger
• German: aufrichten
• Italian: sollevare, elevare
• Portuguese: erguer, levantar, alçar, criar
• Russian: поднима́ть
• Spanish: erigir

• French: ériger
• Italian: innalzare
• Portuguese: erguer

• Italian: edificare
• Portuguese: erguer, erigir, construir
• Russian: возводи́ть

• French: élever
• German: aufziehen, erziehen, großziehen
• Italian: crescere
• Portuguese: criar
• Russian: воспи́тывать
• Spanish: criar

• French: élever
• Italian: crescere
• Portuguese: criar
• Russian: выра́щивать
• Spanish: criar

• Italian: sollevarsi
• Russian: встава́ть на дыбы́

rear (rears, present participle rearing; past and past participle reared)

1. (transitive) To move; stir.
2. (transitive, of geese) To carve.

   Rere that goose!

3. (regional, obsolete) To revive, bring to life, quicken. (only in the phrase, to rear to life)

   He healeth the blind and he reareth to life the dead. (Speculum Sacerdotale c. 15th century)

• reremouse
• uproar

rear (comparative rearer, superlative rearest)

1. (now chiefly dialectal) (of eggs) Underdone; nearly raw.
2. (chiefly US) (of meats) Rare.

rear (not comparable)

1. Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost

   the 'rear rank of a company

   sit in the 'rear seats of a car

• front

• French: arrière
• Italian: retro, posteriore
• Portuguese: traseiro
• Russian: за́дний

rear

1. (British, dialect) early; soon
   • John Gay.

     Then why does Cuddy leave his cot so rear!

rear (plural rears)

1. The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last on order; - opposed to front.
   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: Printed by J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], OCLC 228732398 ↗, page 91 ↗:

     Nipt with the lagging rear of winters froſt.

2. (military) Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book 2 ↗”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708 ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554 ↗, line 78:

     When the fierce Foe hung on our brok'n Rear

3. (anatomy) The buttocks, a creature's bottom

• (buttocks) rear end

• Italian: posteriore
• Portuguese: traseira
• Russian: задний
• Spanish: posterior

• French: arrière-garde
• German: Nachhut
• Italian: retroguardia
• Portuguese: retaguarda, zaga
• Russian: тыл
• Spanish: retaguardia

• French: derrière
• Italian: posteriore, retro, didietro
• Portuguese: traseiro, posterior

rear (rears, present participle rearing; past and past participle reared)

1. To place in the rear; to secure the rear of.
2. (transitive, vulgar, British) To sodomize perform anal sex