behind

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”).

prep

1. At or to the back or far side of.
   1. (figurative) Concealed by (something serving as a facade or disguise).
      Behind the smile was a cruel intention.
   2. (figurative) In the past, from the viewpoint of.
      All my problems are behind me.
2. Less forward or advanced than; after.
   1. After in physical progress or distance.
      Smith finished the race a lap behind the others.
      About the center, and a good way behind the rest, Silver and I followed — I tethered by my rope[…]. 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
   2. After in developmental progress, score, grade, etc.; inferior to.
      I'm ranked sixth in the French class, behind five other pupils.
      In the cricket match, England are 120 runs behind India.
   3. After in time.
      London is nine hours behind Tokyo.
3. Responsible for, being the creator or controller of.
   Who is behind these terrorist attacks?
   Mr Jones was the man behind the redevelopment plan.
   Bud Light replaces Marketing VP behind Dylan Mulvaney partnership. 2023, Ian Miller, OutKick
4. Underlying, being the reason for or explanation of.
   What is behind this unexpected decision?
5. In support of.
   The republicans are fully behind their candidate.
6. (sometimes regarded as nonstandard, US, informal) Following, subsequent to; as a result or consequence of.
   He was like, 'Fuck the police! Fuck you! You know who I am, you gonna quit playing with me, bitch.' I'm like let's go. 'Cause I wasn't trying to go to jail behind that shit. 2012, DeShawn Dorsey, Longsuffering Through Emotional Wounds, page 40

adv

1. At or in the rear or back part of something.
   The water flows out through the pipe, and the sediment collects behind.
2. In a rearward direction.
   We ran and ran, without once looking behind.
3. So as to come after someone or something in position, distance, advancement, ranking, time, etc.
   The slower runners were left a long way behind.
   In the cricket match, England finished a long way behind.
   The worst thing about autumn is that winter follows behind.
4. So as to be still in place after someone or something has departed or ceased to exist.
   I couldn't be bothered to carry the ironing board, so I left it behind.
   He stayed behind after the war.
   He left behind a legacy of death and sorrow.
   The island was inundated by the sea, leaving not a trace behind.
5. Backward in time or order of succession; past.
6. Behind the scenes in a theatre; backstage.
   ‘After the performance was over I went behind, and spoke to her.’ 1890, Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Vintage, published 2007, page 68
7. (archaic) Not yet brought forward, produced, or exhibited to view; out of sight; remaining.

adj

1. Not advanced to the required or expected degree; overdue or in arrears.
   I'm very behind in my schedule.
   My employer is two paychecks behind on paying my salary.
2. (of a watch or clock) Slow.
   My watch is behind by four minutes.

noun

1. The rear, back-end.
   This part fits under the behind of the vehicle.
   She sneaked up on me from behind.
2. (informal) The buttocks, bottom, butt.
   I was stung on the behind by a wasp.
   "So the catheter didn't have anything to do with keeping him from touching himself?" I don't usually go in for euphemisms, but Fineg is a man who says "behind", as in "I have a picture where he bit me in the behind." The catheter, it turns out, was in the chimp's femoral artery (to monitor blood pressure), not his urethra. 2010, Mary Roach, “One Furry Step for Mankind: The Strange Careers of Ham and Enos”, in Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, W. W. Norton & Company, page 158
   "The dog got excited, was jumping around inside the boat and then it jumped on the gun. It went off, shooting the [decoy setter] in the buttocks," Box Elder County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Kevin Potter told the Salt Lake Tribune. Twenty-seven rounds of birdshot were removed from the man's behind after the accident. 12 December 2011, Alyssa Newcomb, “Sit, Stay, Aim, Fire. Dog Shoots Another Hunter”, in ABC News, archived from the original on 2021-10-25
3. (Australian rules football) A one-point score.
   A roar from ten thousand throats go up, For we've kicked another behind. 1880, “The Opening Ball”, in G. Lehmann, editor, Comic Australian Verse, 1975, quoted in G. A. Wilkes, A Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms, second edition, Sydney University Press, published 1985
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).