Obs. Forms: 4–6 arere, 6 aryere, 7 arrear. [a. OF. arere-r, later arierer, arrierer, to put back, draw back, f. arrière. Cf. avant, avancer, aval, avaler.]
1. trans. To keep back, allow to fall behind.
c. 1525. Skelton, Vox Pop. Vox Dei, 494. Except the fermour wyll aryere The rent hyere by a hole yeare.
1635. J. Slacke, in Hearne’s Langtoft’s Chron. (1810), 393. To pay unto me such Pentions as were arreared.
2. intr. To draw back, fall back, retreat, recede. (Arere! may be imperative of the vb., or the adv. used interjectionally, like Back!)
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1902. And he schunt for þe scharp, & schulde haf arered.
1399. Rich. Redeless, III. 110. A-rere now to Richard, and reste here a while.
c. 1400. Beryn, 1972. Somtyme thowe wolt auaunte, and som tyme [wolt] arere.
1509. Barclay, Ship of Fooles (1570), ¶¶ iij. Ye London galantes arere, ye shall not enter.
