arrear
[noun]
Synonyms: debt, arrearage, due, indebtedness, liability

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

arrear adverb.ME-E19.
[Old French ar
i. ere (mod. arrière) from medieval Latin adretro, from Latin ad AR- + retro backward, behind. Cf. AREAR.]
In or to the rear; behind; overdue.
arrear-band: see ARRIèRE-BAN. arrear-guard: see ARRIèRE-GUARD.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲

arrear noun. [ǝ'rɪǝ] ME.
[from the adverb.]
I. in arrear(s).
1. In the past. Only in ME.

2. Behind in time; behind in the discharge of duties or liabilities; esp. behindhand in payment. E17.
■ Steele The World is in Arrear to your Virtue.
■ A. Knox I am two or three letters in arrear to different persons.
■ S. Raven For years we've had a system whereby we pay tradesmen a term in arrears.
■ A. Brink Others..had been evicted from their homes..because they'd fallen in arrears with the rent.

3. Behind in position. Only in M17.

4. Behind as to state or condition. (Foll. by of.) M19.
■ R. Ford The arts of medicine and surgery are somewhat in arrear in Spain.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲

arrear(2)
II. Without in.

5. Something in which one has fallen behind; something remaining to be done; a duty or liability undischarged; an outstanding debt. Now usu. in pl. LME.
■ Burke Having so faithfully and so fully acquitted towards me whatever arrear of debt was left undischarged.
■ F. Marryat To obtain my arrears of pay, and some prize-money which I find due.
■ Dickens To you..I owe a long arrear of thanks.
■ J. Buchan If I were you I would go to bed, for you must have considerable arrears of sleep to overtake.
■ E. F. Benson The arrears of general events were soon cleared off,..and the talk became more intimate.

6. The rear, esp. of a train or procession. Long arch. E17.

7. A portion held back; something held in reserve. M17-M18.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲