- (usually the rear)[singular] the back part of something
- A trailer was attached to the rear of the truck.
- There are toilets at both front and rear of the plane.
- A high gate blocks the only entrance to the rear.
Which Word? at the back / at the rear / behindat the back / at the rear / behind- At the back and at the rear have a similar meaning, but at the rear is used more in formal or official language: What’s that at the back of the fridge?Smoking is only allowed at the rear of the aircraft. It is more usual to talk about the back door of a house but the rear exit of an aircraft or public building. If something is behind something else it is near to the back of it but not part of it. Compare: Our room was at the back of the hotel and There’s a lovely wood just behind our hotel.
Extra Examples- Car seats for young babies should face the rear.
- The radio is loudest in the rear of the car.
- The socket for the printer cable is located at the rear of the computer.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + rear- bring up
- attack (somebody/something) from
- cover
- …
- at the rear
- from the rear
- in the rear
- …
- (also rear end)[countable, usually singular] (informal) the part of the body that you sit on synonym backside, bottom
- a kick in the rear
Word Originnoun Middle English (first used as a military term): from Old French rere, based on Latin retro ‘back’.
Idioms
See rear in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee rear in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishbring up the rear
- to be at the back of a line of people, or last in a race
- David was the first to reach the summit, followed by Pat, leaving Fergus to bring up the rear.
- Three drummers brought up the rear.
Check pronunciation:
rear