behind

English Online Dictionary. What means behind‎? What does behind mean?

English

Alternative forms

• ahind (dialect)
• behine (archaic, African-American Vernacular)

Etymology

From Middle English behinde, behinden, from Old English behindan (“on the back side of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihindan, *bihindini (“on the back side of, in the rear of, behind”), from Proto-West Germanic *bi- + *hindō (“the hind side, back part”), equivalent to be- +‎ hind. Compare Old Saxon bihindan (“behind”, adverb), Middle High German behinter (“behind; back”).

Pronunciation

• (preposition, adverb)
  • IPA^(key): /bɪˈhaɪnd/, /bəˈhaɪnd/
  • (Local Dublin) IPA^(key): /beˈhəɪn/, /beˈhoɪn/, /beˈhaɪn/
• (noun)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbiːˌhaɪnd/, /bɪˈhaɪnd/
  • (UK) IPA^(key): /bɪˈhaɪnd/, /bəˈhaɪnd/
• Hyphenation: be‧hind
• Rhymes: -aɪnd

Preposition

behind

1. At or to the back or far side of.

   Look behind you!

   Synonyms: (US) in back of, to the rear of, (Chester) a-back

   Antonym: in front of

   1. (figuratively) Concealed by (something serving as a facade or disguise).

   2. (figuratively) In the past, from the viewpoint of.

2. Less forward or advanced than; after.

   Antonym: ahead of

   1. After in physical progress or distance.

      Smith finished the race a lap behind the others.
   2. After in developmental progress, score, grade, etc.; inferior to.
   3. After in time.

      London is nine hours behind Tokyo.

3. Responsible for, being the creator or controller of.
4. Underlying, being the reason for or explanation of.

5. In support of.

6. (sometimes regarded as nonstandard, US, informal) Following, subsequent to; as a result or consequence of.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

behind (comparative more behind or (rare or nonstandard) behinder, superlative most behind or (rare or nonstandard) behindest)

1. At or in the rear or back part of something.

2. In a rearward direction.

3. So as to come after someone or something in position, distance, advancement, ranking, time, etc.
4. So as to be still in place after someone or something has departed or ceased to exist.
5. Backward in time or order of succession; past.
6. Behind the scenes in a theatre; backstage.
7. (archaic) Not yet brought forward, produced, or exhibited to view; out of sight; remaining.

Usage notes

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

Translations

Adjective

behind (comparative more behind or (rare or nonstandard) behinder, superlative most behind or (rare or nonstandard) behindest)

1. Not advanced to the required or expected degree; overdue or in arrears.

2. (of a watch or clock) Slow.

Noun

behind (plural behinds)

1. The rear, back-end.

2. (informal) The buttocks, bottom, butt.
3. (Australian rules football) A one-point score.
4. (baseball, slang, 1800s) The catcher.
5. 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

Translations

Related terms

• hind
• hiney

References

• “behind”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “behind”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• 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