trailing dust; dust cloud left behind
Literary word for the dust kicked up by someone or something moving ahead. Almost exclusively used in the idiom 後塵を拝する (こうじんをはいする), meaning 'to be outdone' or 'to follow in someone's wake'.
See also: 後塵を拝する (こうじんをはいする)
He always ran at the front, and the others could only follow in his wake.
In this field, our company is still trailing behind our rivals.
Standard kanji spelling. The character 塵 is not a Jōyō kanji, so the form 後じん is also used.
Mixed kana spelling used when 塵 is not available or to aid readability.
From 後 (behind) + 塵 (dust). The literal meaning is 'dust behind', referring to the dust raised by someone ahead. The idiomatic use comes from the image of being left behind in a cloud of dust.