Rear can mean the back part of something, as opposed to the front. The rear of a car is where the trunk and back bumper are. If you're sitting in the rear of a classroom, you're in the back row. Soldiers guarding the rear of a marching column watch for danger coming from behind.

The word also means to raise or care for young creatures until they can take care of themselves. A mother bird rears her chicks by feeding them and keeping them safe until they can fly. Farmers rear livestock like cattle and sheep. People sometimes say parents rear their children, though “raise” is more common today.

As a verb, rear can also describe something rising up on its hind legs. A startled horse might rear up, lifting its front hooves off the ground. In old adventure stories, a sea monster might rear its head above the waves.

You might hear someone talk about bringing up the rear, which means being last in line. If your family is hiking and you're walking slowest, you're bringing up the rear. The phrase rear its ugly head describes when a problem appears, like when an old argument rears its ugly head during a family dinner.