Back vs. Rear

Back vs. Rear — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Back and Rear

Backadjective

(not comparable) Near the rear.

Go in the back door of the house.

Rearverb

(transitive) To bring up to maturity, as offspring; to educate; to instruct; to foster. Raise]]" is more common in American English.

Backadjective

(not comparable) Not current.

I’d like to find a back issue of that magazine.

Rearverb

To breed and raise. Less common than "raise" in American English.

The family has been rearing cattle for 200 years.

Backadjective

(not comparable) Far from the main area.

They took a back road.

Rearverb

(intransitive) To rise up on the hind legs

The horse was shocked, and thus reared.
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Backadjective

(not comparable) In arrear; overdue.

They still owe three months' back rent.

Rearverb

To get angry.

Backadjective

(not comparable) Moving or operating backward.

back action

Rearverb

(intransitive) To rise high above, tower above.

Backadjective

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

To raise physically or metaphorically; to lift up; to cause to rise, to elevate.

The monster slowly reared its head.
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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

To construct by building; to set up

to rear defenses or housesto rear one government on the ruins of another.

Backadverb

Away from the front or from an edge.

Sit all the way back in your chair.

Rearverb

To raise spiritually; to lift up; to elevate morally.

Backadverb

In a manner that impedes.

Fear held him back.

Rearverb

To lift and take up.

Backadverb

(not comparable) In a reciprocal manner; in return.

If you hurt me, I'll hurt you back.

Rearverb

To rouse; to strip up.

Backadverb

Earlier, ago.

We met many years back.I last saw him a day or two back.

Rearverb

(transitive) To move; stir.

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?

Rearverb

To carve.

Rere that goose!

Backnoun

The spine and associated tissues.

I hurt my back lifting those crates.

Rearverb

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

Backnoun

Large and attractive buttocks.

Rearverb

To place in the rear; to secure the rear of.

Backnoun

(figurative) The part of a piece of clothing which covers the back.

I still need to finish the back of your dress.

Rearverb

To sodomize perform anal sex

Backnoun

The backrest, the part of a piece of furniture which receives the human back.

Can you fix the back of this chair?

Rearadjective

(of eggs) Underdone; nearly raw.

Backnoun

(obsolete) That part of the body that bears clothing. (Now used only in the phrase clothes on one's back.)

Rearadjective

(of meats) Rare.

Backnoun

That which is farthest away from the front.

He sat in the back of the room.

Rearadjective

Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost

the rear rank of a companysit in the rear seats of a car

Backnoun

The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side.

Turn the book over and look at the back.

Rearadverb

early; soon

Backnoun

The reverse side; the side that is not normally seen.

I hung the clothes on the back of the door.

Rearnoun

The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last on order; - opposed to front.

Backnoun

Area behind, such as the backyard of a house.

We'll meet out in the back of the library.

Rearnoun

(military) Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest.

Backnoun

The part of something that goes last.

The car was near the back of the train.

Rearnoun

(anatomy) The buttocks, a creature's bottom

Backnoun

(sports) In some team sports, a position behind most players on the team.

The backs were lined up in an I formation.

Rearnoun

the back of a military formation or procession;

infantrymen were in the rear

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.

Rearnoun

the side of an object that is opposite its front;

his room was toward the rear of the hotel

Backnoun

A support or resource in reserve.

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 store

Backnoun

(nautical) The keel and keelson of a ship.

The ship's back broke in the pounding surf.

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?

Backnoun

(mining) The roof of a horizontal underground passage.

Rearnoun

the side that goes last or is not normally seen;

he wrote the date on the back of the photograph

Backnoun

Effort, usually physical.

Put some back into it!

Rearverb

stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds;

The horse reared in terror

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?

Rearverb

bring up;

raise a familybring up children

Backnoun

Among leather dealers, one of the thickest and stoutest tanned hides.

Rearverb

rise up;

The building rose before them

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.

Rearverb

cause to rise up

Backnoun

A ferryboat.

Rearverb

construct, build, or erect;

Raise a barn

Backverb

(intransitive) To go in the reverse direction.

the train backed into the station;the horse refuses to back

Rearadjective

located in or toward the back or rear;

the chair's rear legsthe rear door of the planeon the rearward side

Backverb

(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 books

Backverb

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 document

Backverb

To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).

Backverb

To row backward with (oars).

to back the oars

Backnoun

the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine;

his back was nicely tanned

Backnoun

the side that goes last or is not normally seen;

he wrote the date on the back of the photograph

Backnoun

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 store

Backnoun

(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 back

Backnoun

the front and back covering of a book;

the book had a leather binding

Backnoun

the part of a garment that covers your back;

they pinned a `kick me' sign on his back

Backnoun

a support that you can lean against while sitting;

the back of the dental chair was adjustable

Backnoun

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 1960

Backverb

travel backward;

back into the drivewayThe car backed up and hit the tree

Backverb

give support or one's approval to;

I'll second that motionI can't back this planendorse a new project

Backverb

cause to travel backward;

back the car into the parking spot

Backverb

support financial backing for;

back this enterprise

Backverb

be in back of;

My garage backs their yard

Backverb

place a bet on;

Which horse are you backing?I'm betting on the new horse

Backverb

shift to a counterclockwise direction;

the wind backed

Backverb

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 entrance

Backadjective

located at or near the back of an animal;

back (or hind) legsthe hinder part of a carcass

Backadjective

of an earlier date;

back issues of the magazine

Backadverb

in or to or toward a former location;

she went back to her parents' house

Backadverb

at or to or toward the back or rear;

he moved backtripped when he stepped backwardshe looked rearward out the window of the car

Backadverb

in or to or toward an original condition;

he went back to sleep

Backadverb

in or to or toward a past time;

set the clocks back an hournever look backlovers of the past looking fondly backward

Backadverb

in answer;

he wrote back three days laterhad little to say in reply to the questions

Backadverb

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