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Behind vs On - What's the difference?

behind | on |

As nouns the difference between behind and on

is that behind is the rear, back-end while on is lamb.

As a preposition behind

is at the back of.

As an adverb behind

is at the back part; in the rear.

behind

English

Preposition

(English prepositions)
  • At the back of.
  • *
  • *:But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶, and a 'bead' could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Timothy Garton Ash)
    • , volume=189, issue=6, page=18, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli , passage=Hidden behind thickets of acronyms and gorse bushes of detail, a new great game is under way across the globe. Some call it geoeconomics, but it's geopolitics too. The current power play consists of an extraordinary range of countries simultaneously sitting down to negotiate big free trade and investment agreements.}}
  • To the back of.
  • After, time- or motion-wise.
  • *1883 , (Robert Louis Stevenson), (Treasure Island)
  • *:About the center, and a good way behind the rest, Silver and I followed - I tethered by my rope.
  • Responsible for.
  • In support of.
  • :
  • Left a distance by, in progress or improvement; inferior to.
  • :
  • *Bible, xi.5:
  • *:I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

    • Synonyms

    * in back of * to the rear of

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • At the back part; in the rear.
  • * Milton
    • I shall not lag behind .
  • Toward the back part or rear; backward.
    • to look behind
  • Overdue, in arrears.
    • My employer is two paychecks behind on paying my salary.
    I'm two weeks behind in my schedule.
  • Slow; of a watch or clock.
    • ''My watch is four minutes behind .
  • existing afterwards
    • He left behind a legacy of death and sorrow.
    He stayed behind after the war.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, / And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, / Leave not a rack behind .
  • Backward in time or order of succession; past.
  • * Bible, Phil. ii. 13
    • forgetting those things which are behind
  • Behind the scenes in a theatre; backstage.
  • * 1890 , (Oscar Wilde), The Picture of Dorian Gray , Vintage 2007, p. 68:
    • ‘After the performance was over I went behind , and spoke to her.’
  • (archaic) Not yet brought forward, produced, or exhibited to view; out of sight; remaining.
  • * John Locke
    • We cannot be sure that there is no evidence behind .

    Usage notes

    For usage in phrasal verbs, see Category: English phrasal verbs with particle "behind": .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • the rear, back-end
  • butt, the buttocks, bottom
  • (Australian rules football) A one-point score.
  • * 1880 . "The Opening Ball" in Comic Australian Verse'', ed. G. Lehmann, 1975. Quoted in G. A. Wilkes, ''A Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms , second edition, 1985, (Sydney University Press), ISBN 0-424-00113-6.
    • A roar from ten thousand throats go up,
    For we've kicked another behind.
  • The catcher.
  • In the Eton College field game, any of a group of players consisting of two "shorts" (who try to kick the ball over the bully) and a "long" (who defends the goal).

    • Derived terms

    * behind bars * behind closed doors * behind in the count * behind somebody's back * behind the arc * behind the bit * behind the counter * behind the eight-ball * behind the scenes * behind the wheel * behindhand * caught behind * come from behind * drop behind * fall behind * get behind * hiney * leave behind * rushed behind * stay behind * wet behind the ears

    Related terms

    * hind

    Statistics

    *

    References

    * Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "Spatial particles of orientation", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition , Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8

    External links

    * * 200 English basic words 1000 English basic words

    on

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) (m), , see (m).

    Adjective

    (-)
  • In the state of being active, functioning or operating.
  • Performing according to schedule.
    • Are we still on for tonight?
    Is the show still on ?
  • (UK, informal) Acceptable, appropriate.
    • right on'''''; ''bang '''on'''''; ''not '''on
  • (informal) Destined, normally in the context of a challenge being accepted; involved, doomed.
    • "Five bucks says the Cavs win tonight." ?"You're on !"
    Mike just threw coffee onto Paul's lap. It's on now.
  • (baseball, informal) Having reached a base as a runner and being positioned there, awaiting further action from a subsequent batter.
    • Synonyms
    * base (not informal)

    Adverb

    (-)
  • To an operating state.
    • turn the television on
  • Along, forwards (continuing an action).
    • drive on''', rock '''on
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 5 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool , work=BBC Sport , url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17878435 , page= , passage=He met Luis Suarez's cross at the far post, only for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to show brilliant reflexes to deflect his header on to the bar. Carroll turned away to lead Liverpool's insistent protests that the ball had crossed the line but referee Phil Dowd and assistant referee Andrew Garratt waved play on , with even a succession of replays proving inconclusive.}}
  • In continuation, at length.
    • and so on .
    He rambled on''' and '''on .
  • (cricket) In, or towards the half of the field on the same side as the batsman's legs; the left side for a right-handed batsman; leg.
  • (not US) Later.
    • Ten years on nothing had changed in the village.
    Antonyms
    * off * (to an operating state) off * (later) after, afterward/afterwards, later, subsequently, thence

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Positioned at the upper surface of, touching from above.
  • * Longfellow
    • I stood on the bridge at midnight.
  • At or near; adjacent to.
    • Soon we'll pass a statue on the left.
    The fleet is on the American coast.
  • Covering.
  • At the date of.
  • Some time during the day of.
  • Dealing with the subject of, about, or concerning something.
  • Touching; hanging from.
  • (informal) In the possession of.
  • Because of, or due to.
  • Immediately after.
  • Paid for by.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.}}
  • Away or occupied with (e.g. a scheduled activity).
  • Denoting performance or action by contact with the surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by means of; with.
    • to play on a violin or piano
    Her words made a lasting impression on my mind.
  • (senseid) Regularly taking (a drug).
  • (senseid) Under the influence of (a drug).
  • (mathematics) Having identical domain and codomain.
    • a function on V
  • (mathematics) Having V^n as domain and V'' as codomain, for some set ''V'' and integer ''n .
    • an operator on V
  • (mathematics) Generated by.
  • Supported by (the specified part of itself).
  • At a given time after the start of something; .
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 24, author=Aled Williams, work=BBC Sport
    • , title=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/14957961.stm Chelsea 4-1 Swansea] , passage=The Spain striker had given Chelsea the lead on 29 minutes but was shown a straight red card 10 minutes later for a rash challenge on Mark Gower.}}
  • In addition to; besides; indicating multiplication or succession in a series.
    • heaps on heaps of food
    mischief on''' mischief; loss '''on loss
    (Shakespeare)
  • (obsolete) of
  • * Shakespeare
    • Be not jealous on me.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Or have we eaten on the insane root / That takes the reason prisoner?
  • Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in.
    • I depended on them for assistance.
    He will promise on certain conditions.
    Do you ever bet on horses?
  • Toward; for; indicating the object of an emotion.
    • Have pity or compassion on him.
  • (obsolete) At the peril of, or for the safety of.
  • * Dryden
    • Hence, on thy life.
  • In the service of; connected with; of the number of.
    • He is on''' a newspaper; I am '''on the committee.
  • By virtue of; with the pledge of.
    • He affirmed or promised on''' his word, or '''on his honour.
  • To the account of; denoting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling, or resting upon.
    • On us be all the blame.
    A curse on him!
  • * Bible, Matthew xxvii. 25
    • His blood be on' us and ' on our children.
    Derived terms
    * depend on * on-campus * put on airs *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (Singapore) To switch on.
    • Can you on the light?
    Synonyms
    *

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    * (l)

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Without.
    • Usage notes
    * Usually followed by a perfect participle, as being'', ''having , etc.

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * 100 English basic words English two-letter words 1000 English basic words ----