Obs. Forms: 4–6 arere, 6 arear(e, arreir, 6–7 arreare, 6–8 arrere, 7–8 arrear. [a. OF. arere, ariere (mod.F. arrière), Pr. a(r)reire:—Merovingian L. ad retro, f. ad to, retro backward.]
1. Of direction: Backward, to the rear, behind, into the background.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VII. 405. Thanne gan he go … Som tyme asyde · and som tyme a-rere.
c. 1450. Henryson, Test. Creseid, 196. All earthly ioy and mirth I set arere.
1591. Spenser, Virgils Gnat, 468. She … Obseru’d th’ appointed way … Ne euer did her eysight turne arere.
2. Of position: In the rear, behind; in the background. Cf. A-REAR.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 315. Shall no man knowe by his chere, Which is avaunt, ne whiche arere.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., I. xvi. 90. Grees goon on out of gree and prechingis rennen arere.
1509. Barclay, Ship of Fooles (1570), 208. When a simple seruaunt must needes stande arere.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, II. xl. To leaue with speed Atlanta swift arreare.
3. Of action: To do, put arrear: to rout. To run arrear: to fall into confusion or disorder.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 241. Þe Walsch com þam ageyn, did our men alle arere.
1529. Lyndesay, Complaynt, 122. Than did my purpose ryn arreir. Ibid. (1530), Papyngo, 567. The court of Rome, that tyme, rane all aureir.
4. Of time: a. Behindhand, behind date, overdue. (Replaced by in arrear.)
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch., in Ashm. 1652, ii. 30. He with haste shall bringe his warke arreare.
1552. Huloet, Arrere to be with accompt or reckenynge, Reliquor.
1648. Petit. East. Ass., 25. To order Collectors … to distrain for what is Arrear.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., II. 42. In case they be behind, or arrere, at the day appointed, the lord may distrein.
b. Behind us in time, past and gone.
1567. Turberv., Epit., etc. 67. Not with such friendly face and brow of gladsome cheare As earst thou hadst: those louely lookes and blincks are all arreare.
5. In various combinations in which the simple REAR is now used; as arrear-admiral, arrear-supper; where it also varies with the mod.F. form arrière. Also ARREAR-GUARD, -WARD, q.v. Arrear-ban(d: see ARRIÈRE-BAN.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXXVII. xxix. 961. Eudamus the arriere-admirall [qui cogebat agmen] … made head with his owne ship against the very admirall of the enemies.
