Hind Means Rear, and Also a Female Deer
Hind describes the back part of something. A separate hind is a female red deer.
Hind means situated at the back, as in hind legs. A separate *hind* is a female red deer, from Old English *hind*, and the two are unrelated. Deer terminology is unusually precise in English: a red deer female is a hind, a fallow deer female a doe, and the males are a stag and a buck respectively. *Hindsight* was formed on the model of *foresight* in the 1800s, and is much the younger word.
- At the back. *Hind legs.*
- A female red deer. *A hind.*
- Hindsight. *With hindsight.*
- Behind — the same root. *Behind.*
- Old English — *hindan*, from behind. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | hind | Hind legs. |
| Noun | hind | A hind. |
| Compound | hindsight | Hindsight. |
| Compound | hindquarters | Hindquarters. |
| Related | behind | Behind. |
- The horse reared on its hind legs.Position.
- A hind grazed at the edge.Deer.
- With hindsight it was obvious.Idiom.
Deer terms in English
- Red deer — stag and hind
- Fallow deer — buck and doe
- Roe deer — buck and doe
- Young of all — a fawn or calf, depending on species
- A hart was an older word for a mature male red deer
Old English *hindan*, from behind. The deer is Old English *hind*, of separate Germanic origin.
What is a hind?
A female red deer. The word is unrelated to hind meaning at the back, despite the identical spelling.
Is hindsight an old word?
No. It was formed in the 1800s on the model of foresight, which is much older.