Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Located behind a part or toward the rear of a structure.
  • adjective Relating to the caudal end of the body in quadrupeds or the back of the body in humans and other primates.
  • adjective Botany Next to or facing the main stem or axis.
  • adjective Coming after in order; following.
  • adjective Following in time; subsequent.
  • noun The buttocks.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Later in position in a series or course of action; coming after.
  • Especially, later or subsequent in time: opposed to prior.
  • Situated behind; hinder: opposed to anterior.
  • In botany, situated on the side nearest the axis; superior: said of the parts of an axillary flower. Compare anterior.
  • noun The hinder part; in the plural, the hinder parts of the body of man or any animal.
  • noun plural The latter part.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Later in time; hence, later in the order of proceeding or moving; coming after; -- opposed to prior.
  • adjective Situated behind; hinder; -- opposed to anterior.
  • adjective (Anat.) At or toward the caudal extremity; caudal; -- in human anatomy often used for dorsal.
  • adjective (Bot.) On the side next the axis of inflorescence; -- said of an axillary flower.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Located behind, or towards the rear of an object.
  • adjective Following in order or in time.
  • adjective anatomy Nearer the back end; nearer the caudal end of the body in quadrupeds or the dorsal end in bipeds.
  • adjective botany Next to, or facing the main stem or axis.
  • noun euphemistic The buttocks.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
  • adjective located at or near or behind a part or near the end of a structure
  • noun a tooth situated at the back of the mouth
  • adjective coming at a subsequent time or stage

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin, comparative of posterus, coming after, from post, afterward; see apo- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin posterior, comparative of posterus ("coming after").

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Examples

Comments

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  • This might be the most dignified word for 'ass' I can think of.

    October 10, 2008

  • How about fundament?

    October 11, 2008