Ear vs Rear - What's the difference?
ear | rear |
(countable) The organ of hearing, consisting of the pinna, auditory canal, eardrum, malleus, incus, stapes and cochlea.
(countable) The external part of the organ of hearing, the auricle.
*
, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4
, passage=Judge Short had gone to town, and Farrar was off for a three days' cruise up the lake. I was bitterly regretting I had not gone with him when the distant notes of a coach horn reached my ear , and I descried a four-in-hand winding its way up the inn road from the direction of Mohair.}}
(countable, slang) A police informant.
* 1976 , Stirling Silliphant, Dean Riesner, Gail Morgan Hickman, .
The sense of hearing; the perception of sounds; the power of discriminating between different tones.
*
The privilege of being kindly heard; favour; attention.
* (Francis Bacon)
* (William Shakespeare)
That which resembles in shape or position the ear of an animal; a prominence or projection on an object, usually for support or attachment; a lug; a handle.
(architecture) An acroterium.
(architecture) A crossette.
(humorous) To take in with the ears; to hear.
* Two Noble Kinsmen
(countable) The fruiting body of a grain plant.
(archaic) To plough.
* 1595 , William Shakespeare, Richard II :
To raise physically; to lift up; to cause to rise, to elevate.
* (rfdate)
* (rfdate)
To construct by building; to set up
* (rfdate)
To raise spiritually; to lift up; to elevate morally.
* (rfdate)
(obsolete) To lift and take up.
* (rfdate)
To bring up to maturity, as offspring; to educate; to instruct; to foster.
* (rfdate)
To breed and raise; as, to rear cattle (cattle-rearing).
(obsolete) To rouse; to strip up.
* (rfdate),
To rise up on the hind legs, as a bolting horse.
(of eggs) Underdone; nearly raw.
(of meats) Rare.
Being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost; as, the rear rank of a company.
(British, dialect) early; soon
* (rfdate) .
The back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last on order; - opposed to front.
* (rfdate)
(military) Specifically, the part of an army or fleet which comes last, or is stationed behind the rest.
* (rfdate) Milton
(anatomy) The buttocks, a creature's bottom
To place in the rear; to secure the rear of.
(transitive, vulgar, British) To sodomize (perform anal sex)
As verbs the difference between ear and rear
is that ear is (label) refuse, deny; repel while rear is to raise physically; to lift up; to cause to rise, to elevate or rear can be to move; stir or rear can be to place in the rear; to secure the rear of.As an adjective rear is
(of eggs) underdone; nearly raw or rear can be being behind, or in the hindmost part; hindmost; as, the rear rank of a company.As an adverb rear is
(british|dialect) early; soon.As a noun rear is
the back or hindmost part; that which is behind, or last on order; - opposed to front.ear
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) (m), .Noun
(en noun)- No I'm not kidding, and if you don't give it to me I'll let it out that you’re an ear.
- songsnot all ungrateful to thine ear
- Dionysiuswould give no ear to his suit.
- Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears .
Alternative forms
* ereDerived terms
* bend somebody's ear * between the ears * by ear * cauliflower ear * earache * earbud * ear canal * eardrum * earful * earhole * earlobe * earmark * earpiece * earphone * earprint * earring * ears are burning * earshot * earsore * ear to the ground * ear trumpet * earwax * external ear * have one's ears lowered * inner ear * little pitchers have big ears * make a silk purse of a sow's ear * middle ear * mind's ear * out on one's ear * outer ear * surfer’s ear * swimmer’s ear * (ear)Verb
(en verb)- I eared her language.
See also
* (wikipedia) * (l)Etymology 2
From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) . More at (m).Noun
(en noun)- He is in the fields, harvesting ears of corn.
Synonyms
* head * spikeEtymology 3
From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) .Verb
(en verb)- That power I have, discharge; and let them go
- To ear the land that hath some hope to grow,
- For I have none.
rear
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) reren, from (etyl) . More at (l).Alternative forms
* (l), (l), (l)Verb
(en verb)- In adoration at his feet I fell Submiss; he reared me.
- Mine [shall be] the first hand to rear her banner.
- to rear defenses or houses
- to rear one government on the ruins of another.
- One reared a font of stone.
- It reareth our hearts from vain thoughts.
- And having her from Trompart lightly reared , Upon his set the lovely load.
- He wants a father to protect his youth, and rear him up to virtue.
- And seeks the tusky boar to rear.
Usage notes
See note under raise.Synonyms
* (rise up on the hind legs) prance * build * elevate * erect * establish * lift * raiseDerived terms
* raringEtymology 2
From (etyl) reren, from (etyl) .Alternative forms
* (l), (l)Etymology 3
From (etyl) rere, from (etyl) .Alternative forms
* (l), (l) * (l) (US)Adjective
(en-adj)Derived terms
* (l) * (l)Etymology 4
(etyl) rere, ultimately from (etyl) retro. Compare arrear.Adjective
(-)Antonyms
* frontAdverb
(en adverb)- Then why does Cuddy leave his cot so rear !
Noun
(en noun)- Nipped with the lagging rear of winter's frost.
- When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear.