Back vs. Rear
Difference Between Back and Rear
Backnoun
The part of the trunk of the human body along and to the sides of the spine between the neck and the pelvis; the dorsum.
Rearnoun
A hind part.
Backnoun
The analogous dorsal region in other animals.
Rearnoun
The point or area farthest from the front
the rear of the hall.Backnoun
The backbone or spine.
Rearnoun
The part of a military deployment usually farthest from the fighting front.
Backnoun
The part or area farthest from the front.
Rearnoun
(Informal) The buttocks.
Backnoun
The part opposite to or behind that adapted for view or use
the back of the hand.wrote on the back of the photograph.Rearadjective
Of, at, or located in the rear.
Backnoun
The reverse side, as of a coin.
Rearverb
To care for (children or a child) during the early stages of life; bring up. See Usage Note at raise.
Backnoun
A part that supports or strengthens from the rear
the back of a couch.Rearverb
To tend (growing plants or animals).
Backnoun
The part of a book where the pages are stitched or glued together into the binding.
Rearverb
To build; erect.
Backnoun
The binding itself.
Rearverb
(Archaic) To lift upright; raise.
Backnoun
A player who takes a position behind the front line of other players in certain games, such as football and soccer.
Rearverb
To rise on the hind legs, as a horse.
Backnoun
In swimming, backstroke.
Rearverb
To rise high in the air; tower.
Backnoun
A shallow vat or tub used chiefly by brewers.
Rearverb
(transitive) To bring up to maturity, as offspring; to educate; to instruct; to foster. Raise]]" is more common in American English.
Backverb
To cause to move backward or in a reverse direction
Back the car up and then make the turn.Rearverb
To breed and raise. Less common than "raise" in American English.
The family has been rearing cattle for 200 years.Backverb
To furnish or strengthen with a back or backing.
Rearverb
(intransitive) To rise up on the hind legs
The horse was shocked, and thus reared.Backverb
To provide with financial or material support
Unions backed the pro-labor candidate.Rearverb
To get angry.
Backverb
To lend moral support to, as by corroborating a claim. Often used with up
I'm not comfortable filing a complaint if you won't back me up.Rearverb
(intransitive) To rise high above, tower above.
Backverb
To be in favor of; endorse or advocate
backed the reform proposal.Rearverb
To raise physically or metaphorically; to lift up; to cause to rise, to elevate.
The monster slowly reared its head.Backverb
To provide with musical accompaniment. Often used with up.
Rearverb
To construct by building; to set up
to rear defenses or housesto rear one government on the ruins of another.Backverb
To bet or wager on.
Rearverb
To raise spiritually; to lift up; to elevate morally.
Backverb
To adduce evidence in support of; substantiate
backed the argument with facts.Rearverb
To lift and take up.
Backverb
To form the back or background of
Snowcapped mountains back the village.Rearverb
To rouse; to strip up.
Backverb
To move backward
backed out of the garage.Rearverb
(transitive) To move; stir.
Backverb
To shift to a counterclockwise direction. Used of the wind.
Rearverb
To carve.
Rere that goose!Backadjective
Located or placed in the rear
Deliveries should be made at the back entrance.Rearverb
(regional, obsolete) To revive, bring to life, quicken. (only in the phrase, to rear to life)
Backadjective
Distant from a center of activity; remote.
Rearverb
To place in the rear; to secure the rear of.
Backadjective
Of a past date; not current
a back issue of a periodical.Rearverb
To sodomize perform anal sex
Backadjective
Being owed or due from an earlier time; in arrears
back pay.Rearadjective
(of eggs) Underdone; nearly raw.
Backadjective
Being in a backward direction
a back step.Rearadjective
(of meats) Rare.
Backadjective
(Linguistics) Pronounced with the back of the tongue, as oo in cool. Used of vowels.
Rearadjective
Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost
the rear rank of a companysit in the rear seats of a carBackadverb
At, to, or toward the rear or back.
Rearadverb
early; soon
Backadverb
In, to, or toward a former location
went back for the class reunion.Rearnoun
The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last on order; - opposed to front.
Backadverb
In, to, or toward a former condition
When the spell broke, the prince turned back into a frog.Rearnoun
(military) Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest.
Backadverb
In, to, or toward a past time
This story goes back to the 1920s.Rearnoun
(anatomy) The buttocks, a creature's bottom
Backadverb
In reserve or concealment
We kept back some money for emergencies.Rearnoun
the back of a military formation or procession;
infantrymen were in the rearBackadverb
In check or under restraint
Barriers held the crowd back.Rearnoun
the side of an object that is opposite its front;
his room was toward the rear of the hotelBackadverb
In reply or return
emailed back that he would be late.Rearnoun
the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer;
he stood at the back of the stageit was hidden in the rear of the storeBackadjective
(not comparable) Near the rear.
Go in the back door of the house.Rearnoun
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on;
he deserves a good kick in the buttare you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?Backadjective
(not comparable) Not current.
I’d like to find a back issue of that magazine.Rearnoun
the side that goes last or is not normally seen;
he wrote the date on the back of the photographBackadjective
(not comparable) Far from the main area.
They took a back road.Rearverb
stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds;
The horse reared in terrorBackadjective
(not comparable) In arrear; overdue.
They still owe three months' back rent.Rearverb
bring up;
raise a familybring up childrenBackadjective
(not comparable) Moving or operating backward.
back actionRearverb
rise up;
The building rose before themBackadjective
Pronounced with the highest part of the body of the tongue toward the back of the mouth, near the soft palate (most often describing a vowel).
Rearverb
cause to rise up
Backadverb
(not comparable) To or in a previous condition or place.
He gave back the money.He needs his money back.He was on vacation, but now he’s back.The office fell into chaos when you left, but now order is back.Rearverb
construct, build, or erect;
Raise a barnBackadverb
Away from the front or from an edge.
Sit all the way back in your chair.Rearadjective
located in or toward the back or rear;
the chair's rear legsthe rear door of the planeon the rearward sideBackadverb
In a manner that impedes.
Fear held him back.Backadverb
(not comparable) In a reciprocal manner; in return.
If you hurt me, I'll hurt you back.Backadverb
Earlier, ago.
We met many years back.I last saw him a day or two back.Backnoun
The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.
Could you please scratch my back?Backnoun
The spine and associated tissues.
I hurt my back lifting those crates.Backnoun
Large and attractive buttocks.
Backnoun
(figurative) The part of a piece of clothing which covers the back.
I still need to finish the back of your dress.Backnoun
The backrest, the part of a piece of furniture which receives the human back.
Can you fix the back of this chair?Backnoun
(obsolete) That part of the body that bears clothing. (Now used only in the phrase clothes on one's back.)
Backnoun
That which is farthest away from the front.
He sat in the back of the room.Backnoun
The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side.
Turn the book over and look at the back.Backnoun
The reverse side; the side that is not normally seen.
I hung the clothes on the back of the door.Backnoun
Area behind, such as the backyard of a house.
We'll meet out in the back of the library.Backnoun
The part of something that goes last.
The car was near the back of the train.Backnoun
(sports) In some team sports, a position behind most players on the team.
The backs were lined up in an I formation.Backnoun
(figuratively) Upper part of a natural object which is considered to resemble an animal's back.
The small boat raced over the backs of the waves.Backnoun
A support or resource in reserve.
Backnoun
(nautical) The keel and keelson of a ship.
The ship's back broke in the pounding surf.Backnoun
(mining) The roof of a horizontal underground passage.
Backnoun
Effort, usually physical.
Put some back into it!Backnoun
A non-alcoholic drink (often water or a soft drink), to go with hard liquor or a cocktail.
Could I get a martini with a water back?Backnoun
Among leather dealers, one of the thickest and stoutest tanned hides.
Backnoun
A large shallow vat; a cistern, tub, or trough, used by brewers, distillers, dyers, picklers, gluemakers, and others, for mixing or cooling wort, holding water, hot glue, etc.
Backnoun
A ferryboat.
Backverb
(intransitive) To go in the reverse direction.
the train backed into the station;the horse refuses to backBackverb
(transitive) To support.
I back you all the way;which horse are you backing in this race?Backverb
To change direction contrary to the normal pattern; that is, to shift anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, or clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
Backverb
To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.
Backverb
To lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power.
Backverb
To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.
Backverb
(transitive) To push or force backwards.
to back oxenThe mugger backed her into a corner and demanded her wallet.Backverb
To get upon the back of; to mount.
Backverb
To place or seat upon the back.
Backverb
To make a back for; to furnish with a back.
to back booksBackverb
To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.
Backverb
To write upon the back of, possibly as an endorsement.
to back a letter;to back a note or legal documentBackverb
To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).
Backverb
To row backward with (oars).
to back the oarsBacknoun
the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine;
his back was nicely tannedBacknoun
the side that goes last or is not normally seen;
he wrote the date on the back of the photographBacknoun
the part of something that is furthest from the normal viewer;
he stood at the back of the stageit was hidden in the rear of the storeBacknoun
(football) a person who plays in the backfield
Backnoun
the series of vertebrae forming the axis of the skeleton and protecting the spinal cord;
the fall broke his backBacknoun
the front and back covering of a book;
the book had a leather bindingBacknoun
the part of a garment that covers your back;
they pinned a `kick me' sign on his backBacknoun
a support that you can lean against while sitting;
the back of the dental chair was adjustableBacknoun
the position of a player on a football team who is stationed behind the line of scrimmage
Backverb
be behind; approve of;
He plumped for the Labor PartyI backed Kennedy in 1960Backverb
travel backward;
back into the drivewayThe car backed up and hit the treeBackverb
give support or one's approval to;
I'll second that motionI can't back this planendorse a new projectBackverb
cause to travel backward;
back the car into the parking spotBackverb
support financial backing for;
back this enterpriseBackverb
be in back of;
My garage backs their yardBackverb
place a bet on;
Which horse are you backing?I'm betting on the new horseBackverb
shift to a counterclockwise direction;
the wind backedBackverb
establish as valid or genuine;
Can you back up your claims?Backverb
strengthen by providing with a back or backing
Backadjective
related to or located at the back;
the back yardthe back entranceBackadjective
located at or near the back of an animal;
back (or hind) legsthe hinder part of a carcassBackadjective
of an earlier date;
back issues of the magazineBackadverb
in or to or toward a former location;
she went back to her parents' houseBackadverb
at or to or toward the back or rear;
he moved backtripped when he stepped backwardshe looked rearward out the window of the carBackadverb
in or to or toward an original condition;
he went back to sleepBackadverb
in or to or toward a past time;
set the clocks back an hournever look backlovers of the past looking fondly backwardBackadverb
in answer;
he wrote back three days laterhad little to say in reply to the questionsBackadverb
in repayment or retaliation;
we paid back everything we had borrowedhe hit me and I hit him backI was kept in after school for talking back to the teacher
