to hold up; support: to bear the weight of the roof.
2.
to hold or remain firm under (a load): The roof will not bear the strain of his weight.
3.
to bring forth (young); give birth to: to bear a child.
4.
to produce by natural growth: a tree that bears fruit.
5.
to hold up under; be capable of: His claim doesn't bear close examination.
6.
to press or push against: The crowd was borne back by the police.
7.
to hold or carry (oneself, one's body, one's head, etc.): to bear oneself erectly.
8.
to conduct (oneself): to bear oneself bravely.
9.
to suffer; endure; undergo: to bear the blame.
10.
to sustain without yielding or suffering injury; tolerate (usually used in negative constructions, unless qualified): I can't bear your nagging. I can hardly bear to see her suffering so.
11.
to be fit for or worthy of: It doesn't bear repeating.
12.
to carry; bring: to bear gifts.
13.
to carry in the mind or heart: to bear love; to bear malice.
14.
to transmit or spread (gossip, tales, etc.).
15.
to render; afford; give: to bear witness; to bear testimony.
16.
to lead; guide; take: They bore him home.
17.
to have and be entitled to: to bear title.
18.
to exhibit; show: to bear a resemblance.
19.
to accept or have, as an obligation: to bear responsibility; to bear the cost.
20.
to stand in (a relation or ratio); have or show correlatively: the relation that price bears to profit.
21.
to possess, as a quality or characteristic; have in or on: to bear traces; to bear an inscription.
22.
to have and use; exercise: to bear authority; to bear sway.
–verb (used without object)
23.
to tend in a course or direction; move; go: to bear west; to bear left at the fork in the road.
24.
to be located or situated: The lighthouse bears due north.
25.
to bring forth young or fruit: Next year the tree will bear.
—Verb phrases
26.
bear down,
a.
to press or weigh down.
b.
to strive harder; intensify one's efforts: We can't hope to finish unless everyone bears down.
c.
Nautical. to approach from windward, as a ship: The cutter was bearing down the channel at twelve knots.
27.
bear down on or upon,
a.
to press or weigh down on.
b.
to strive toward.
c.
to approach something rapidly.
d.
Nautical. to approach (another vessel) from windward: The sloop bore down on us, narrowly missing our stern.
28.
bear off,
a.
Nautical. to keep (a boat) from touching or rubbing against a dock, another boat, etc.
b.
Nautical. to steer away.
c.
Backgammon. to remove the stones from the board after they are all home.
29.
bear on or upon, to affect, relate to, or have connection with; be relevant to: This information may bear on the case.
30.
bear out, to substantiate; confirm: The facts bear me out.
31.
bear up, to endure; face hardship bravely: It is inspiring to see them bearing up so well.
32.
bear with, to be patient or forbearing with: Please bear with me until I finish the story.
—Idiom
33.
bring to bear, to concentrate on with a specific purpose: Pressure was brought to bear on those with overdue accounts.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME beren, OE beran; c. OS, OHG beran, D baren, OFris, ON bera, Goth bairan, G (ge)bären, Russ berët (he) takes, Albanian bie, Tocharian pär-, Phrygian ab-beret (he) brings, L ferre, OIr berid (he) carries, Armenian berem, Gk phérein, Skt bhárati, Avestan baraiti; < IE *bher- (see -fer, -phore]
—Synonyms 1. uphold, sustain. 4. yield. 6. thrust, drive, force. 10. brook, abide, suffer. Bear,stand,endure refer to supporting the burden of something distressing, irksome, or painful. Bear and stand are close synonyms and have a general sense of withstanding: to bear a disappointment well; to stand a loss. Endure implies continued resistance and patience in bearing through a long time: to endure torture.
—Usage note Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between born and borne as past participles of the verb bear1. Borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth: The wheatfields have borne abundantly this year. Judges have always borne a burden of responsibility. Borne is also the participle when the sense is “to bring forth (young)” and the focus is on the mother rather than on the child. In such cases, borne is preceded by a form of have or followed by by: Anna had borne a son the previous year. Two children borne by her earlier were already grown. When the focus is on the offspring or on something brought forth as if by birth, born is the standard spelling, and it occurs only in passive constructions: My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. A strange desire was born of the tragic experience. Born is also an adjective meaning “by birth,” “innate,” or “native”: born free; a born troublemaker; Mexican-born.
any of the plantigrade, carnivorous or omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae, having massive bodies, coarse heavy fur, relatively short limbs, and almost rudimentary tails.
2.
any of various animals resembling the bear, as the ant bear.
3.
a gruff, burly, clumsy, bad-mannered, or rude person.
4.
a person who believes that market prices, esp. of stocks, will decline (opposed to bull).
5.
Informal. a person who shows great ability, enthusiasm, stamina, etc.: a bear for physics.
6.
(initial capital letter) Astronomy. either of two constellations, Ursa Major or Ursa Minor.
having to do with or marked by declining prices, as of stocks: bear market.
–verb (used with object)
10.
Stock Exchange. to force prices down in (a market, stock, etc.).
—Idiom
11.
loaded for bear, Informal. fully prepared and eager to initiate or deal with a fight, confrontation, or trouble: Keep away from the boss—he's loaded for bear today.
[Origin: bef. 1000; ME be(a)re, beor(e), OE bera; c. Fris bār, D beer, OHG bero (G Bär); < Gmc *beran- lit., the brown one; akin to ON bjǫrn, bersi; cf. Lith bė́ras brown. Cf. bruin]
bear 1Audio Help (bâr) Pronunciation Key
v.
bore (bôr, bōr), borne (bôrn, bōrn) or born (bôrn), bear·ing, bears
v.
tr.
To hold up; support.
To carry from one place to another; transport.
To carry in the mind; harbor: bear a grudge.
To transmit at large; relate: bearing glad tidings.
To have as a visible characteristic: bore a scar on the left arm.
To have as a quality; exhibit: "A thousand different shapes it bears"(Abraham Cowley).
To carry (oneself) in a specified way; conduct: She bore herself with dignity.
To be accountable for; assume: bearing heavy responsibilities.
To have a tolerance for; endure: couldn't bear his lying.
To call for; warrant: This case bears investigation.
To give birth to: bore six children in five years.
To produce; yield: plants bearing flowers.
To offer; render: I will bear witness to the deed.
To move by or as if by steady pressure; push: "boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past"(F. Scott Fitzgerald).
v.
intr.
To yield fruit; produce: peach trees that bear every summer.
To have relevance; apply: They studied the ways in which the relativity theory bears on the history of science.
To exert pressure, force, or influence.
To force oneself along; forge.
To endure something with tolerance and patience: Bear with me while I explain matters.
To extend or proceed in a specified direction: The road bears to the right at the bottom of the hill.
To advance in a threatening manner: The ship bore down on our canoe.
To apply maximum effort and concentration: If you really bear down, you will finish the task.
Phrasal Verb(s): bear down
To advance in a threatening manner: The ship bore down on our canoe.
To apply maximum effort and concentration: If you really bear down, you will finish the task.
bear out
To prove right or justified; confirm: The test results bear out our claims. bear up
To withstand stress, difficulty, or attrition: The patient bore up well during the long illness.
Idiom(s):
bear down on
To effect in a harmful or adverse way: Financial pressures are bearing down on them.
Idiom(s):
bear fruit
To come to a satisfactory conclusion or to fruition.
Idiom(s):
bear in mind
To hold in one's mind; remember: Bear in mind that bridges freeze before roads.
[Middle English beren, from Old English beran; see bher-1 in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These verbs mean to withstand something difficult or painful. Bear pertains broadly to the capacity to withstand: "Those best can bear reproof who merit praise" (Alexander Pope).
Endure specifies a continuing capacity to face pain or hardship: "Human life is everywhere a state in which much is to be endured and little to be enjoyed" (Samuel Johnson).
Stand implies resoluteness of spirit: Actors who can't stand criticism shouldn't perform in public. Abide and suffer suggest the capacity to withstand patiently: She couldn't abide fools. He suffered their insults in silence. Tolerate, when applied to something other than pain, connotes reluctant acceptance: "A decent . . . examination of the acts of government should be not only tolerated, but encouraged" (William Henry Harrison). See Also Synonyms at convey, produce.
Usage Note: Thanks to the vagaries of English spelling, bear has two past participles: born and borne. Traditionally, born is used only in passive constructions referring to birth: I was born in Chicago. For all other uses, including active constructions referring to birth, borne is the standard form: She has borne both her children at home. I have borne his insolence with the patience of a saint.
Any of various usually omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae that have a shaggy coat and a short tail and walk with the entire lower surface of the foot touching the ground.
Any of various other animals, such as the koala, that resemble a true bear.
One, such as an investor, that sells securities or commodities in expectation of falling prices.
A pessimist, especially regarding business conditions.
A large, clumsy, or ill-mannered person.
One, such as an investor, that sells securities or commodities in expectation of falling prices.
A pessimist, especially regarding business conditions.
Slang Something that is difficult or unpleasant: The final exam was a bear.
Slang A highway patrol officer.
adj.
Characterized by falling prices: a bear market.
[Middle English bere, from Old English bera; see bher-2 in Indo-European roots. Sense 3, probably from proverb To sell the bear's skin before catching the bear.]
BearAudio Help (bâr) Pronunciation Key
A peak, 4,523.5 m (14,831 ft) high, in the Wrangell Mountains of southern Alaska near the British Columbia border.
O.E. beran "bear, bring, wear" (class IV strong verb; past tense bær, pp. boren), from P.Gmc. *beranan (cf. O.H.G. beran, O.N. bera, Goth. bairan "to carry"), from PIE root *bher- meaning both "give birth" (though only Eng. and Ger. strongly retain this sense, and Rus. has beremennaya "pregnant") and "carry a burden, bring" (see infer). Many senses are from notion of "move onward by pressure." O.E. past tense bær became M.E. bare; alternative bore began to appear c.1400, but bare remained the literary form till after 1600. Past participle distinction of borne for "carried" and born for "given birth" is 1775. Ball bearings "bear" the friction; bearing "way of carrying oneself" is in M.E.
O.E. bera "bear," from P.Gmc. *beron "the brown one" (cf. O.N. björn, Ger. Bär). Both Gk. arktos and L. ursus retain the PIE root word for "bear" (*rtko), but it has been ritually replaced in the northern branches because of hunters' taboo on names of wild animals (cf. the Ir. equivalent "the good calf," Welsh "honey-pig," Lith. "the licker," Rus. medved "honey-eater"). Others connect the Gmc. word with L. ferus "wild," as if it meant "the wild animal (par excellence) of the northern woods." Symbolic of Russia since 1794. Used of uncouth persons since 1579. Meaning "speculator for a fall" is 1709 shortening of bearskin jobber, from phrase sell the bearskin in proverb sell the bearskin before one has caught the bear, i.e. "one who sells stock for future delivery, expecting that meanwhile prices will fall."
massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
2.
an investor with a pessimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to fall and so sells now in order to buy later at a lower price [ant: bull]
verb
1.
have; "bear a resemblance"; "bear a signature"
2.
cause to be born; "My wife had twins yesterday!" [syn: give birth]
3.
put up with something or somebody unpleasant; "I cannot bear his constant criticism"; "The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks"; "he learned to tolerate the heat"; "She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage"
4.
move while holding up or supporting; "Bear gifts"; "bear a heavy load"; "bear news"; "bearing orders"
5.
bring forth, "The apple tree bore delicious apples this year"; "The unidentified plant bore gorgeous flowers"
6.
take on as one's own the expenses or debts of another person; "I'll accept the charges"; "She agreed to bear the responsibility"
7.
contain or hold; have within; "The jar carries wine"; "The canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water" [syn: hold]
8.
bring in; "interest-bearing accounts"; "How much does this savings certificate pay annually?" [syn: yield]
9.
have on one's person; "He wore a red ribbon"; "bear a scar" [syn: wear]
10.
behave in a certain manner; "She carried herself well"; "he bore himself with dignity"; "They conducted themselves well during these difficult times" [syn: behave]
11.
have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices; "She bears the title of Duchess"; "He held the governorship for almost a decade"
12.
support or hold in a certain manner; "She holds her head high"; "He carried himself upright" [syn: hold]
13.
be pregnant with; "She is bearing his child"; "The are expecting another child in January"; "I am carrying his child" [syn: have a bun in the oven]
Bear Lake, PA (borough, FIPS 4608) Location: 41.99305 N, 79.50096 W Population (1990): 193 (72 housing units) Area: 1.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 16402
Bear Lake, MI (village, FIPS 6460) Location: 44.41999 N, 86.14557 W Population (1990): 339 (168 housing units) Area: 0.8 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 49614
Bear Creek, WI (village, FIPS 5575) Location: 44.53084 N, 88.72690 W Population (1990): 418 (154 housing units) Area: 2.4 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 54922
Bear Creek, WA Zip code(s): 98528
Bear Creek, NC Zip code(s): 27207
Bear Creek, AL (town, FIPS 4852) Location: 34.26054 N, 87.71557 W Population (1990): 913 (405 housing units) Area: 35.0 sq km (land), 0.6 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 35543
White Bear Lake, MN (city, FIPS 69970) Location: 45.06765 N, 93.01267 W Population (1990): 24704 (9465 housing units) Area: 21.2 sq km (land), 5.8 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 55110, 55115
Bear Valley Spri, CA Zip code(s): 93561
Big Bear City, CA (CDP, FIPS 6406) Location: 34.26634 N, 116.84553 W Population (1990): 4920 (4670 housing units) Area: 9.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water) Zip code(s): 92314
Big Bear Lake, CA (city, FIPS 6434) Location: 34.24369 N, 116.89448 W Population (1990): 5351 (8564 housing units) Area: 16.2 sq km (land), 0.4 sq km (water)
Bear Valley Springs, CA (CDP, FIPS 4734) Location: 35.15926 N, 118.62752 W Population (1990): 1593 (764 housing units) Area: 13.3 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)
Bear River City, UT (town, FIPS 3950) Location: 41.61442 N, 112.12315 W Population (1990): 700 (200 housing units) Area: 4.1 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
Bear Lake County, ID (county, FIPS 7) Location: 42.29024 N, 111.33325 W Population (1990): 6084 (2934 housing units) Area: 2516.0 sq km (land), 202.2 sq km (water)
Bairn\, n. [Scot. bairn, AS. bearn, fr. beran to bear; akin to Icel., OS., &Goth. barn. See Bear to support.] A child. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] Has he not well provided for the bairn ! --Beau. & Fl.
Bar"ley\, n. [OE. barli, barlich, AS. b[ae]rlic; bere barley + l[=i]c (which is prob. the same as E. like, adj., or perh. a form of AS. le[=a]c leek). AS. bere is akin to Icel, barr barley, Goth. barizeins made of barley, L. far spelt; cf. W. barlys barley, bara bread. ?92. Cf. Farina, 6th Bear.] (Bot.) A valuable grain, of the family of grasses, genus Hordeum, used for food, and for making malt, from which are prepared beer, ale, and whisky. Barley bird (Zo["o]l.), the siskin. Barley sugar, sugar boiled till it is brittle (formerly with a decoction of barley) and candied. Barley water, a decoction of barley, used in medicine, as a nutritive and demulcent.
Bar"on\, n. [OE. baron, barun, OF. baron, accus. of ber, F. baron, prob. fr. OHG. baro (not found) bearer, akin to E. bear to support; cf. O. Frisian bere, LL. baro, It. barone, Sp. varon. From the meaning bearer (of burdens) seem to have come the senses strong man, man (in distinction from woman), which is the oldest meaning in French, and lastly, nobleman. Cf. L. baro, simpleton. See Bear to support.]1. A title or degree of nobility; originally, the possessor of a fief, who had feudal tenants under him; in modern times, in France and Germany, a nobleman next in rank below a count; in England, a nobleman of the lowest grade in the House of Lords, being next below a viscount. Note: "The tenants in chief from the Crown, who held lands of the annual value of four hundred pounds, were styled Barons; and it is to them, and not to the members of the lowest grade of the nobility (to whom the title at the present time belongs), that reference is made when we read of the Barons of the early days of England's history . . . . Barons are addressed as 'My Lord,' and are styled 'Right Honorable.' All their sons and daughters 'Honorable."' --Cussans. 2. (Old Law) A husband; as, baron and feme, husband and wife. [R.] --Cowell. Baron of beef, two sirloins not cut asunder at the backbone. Barons of the Cinque Ports, formerly members of the House of Commons, elected by the seven Cinque Ports, two for each port. Baron of the exchequer, the judges of the Court of Exchequer, one of the three ancient courts of England, now abolished.
Bar"row\, n. [OE. barow, fr. AS. beran to bear. See Bear to support, and cf. Bier.]1. A support having handles, and with or without a wheel, on which heavy or bulky things can be transported by hand. See Handbarrow, and Wheelbarrow. 2. (Salt Works) A wicker case, in which salt is put to drain.
Bear\ (b[^a]r), v. t. [imp. Bore (b[=o]r) (formerly Bare (b[^a]r)); p. p. Born (b[^o]rn), Borne (b[=o]r); p. pr. & vb. n. Bearing.] [OE. beren, AS. beran, beoran, to bear, carry, produce; akin to D. baren to bring forth, G. geb["a]ren, Goth. ba['i]ran to bear or carry, Icel. bera, Sw. b["a]ra, Dan. b[ae]re, OHG. beran, peran, L. ferre to bear, carry, produce, Gr. fe`rein, OSlav brati to take, carry, OIr. berim I bear, Skr. bh[.r] to bear. [root]92. Cf. Fertile.]1. To support or sustain; to hold up. 2. To support and remove or carry; to convey. I 'll bear your logs the while. --Shak. 3. To conduct; to bring; -- said of persons. [Obs.] Bear them to my house. --Shak. 4. To possess and use, as power; to exercise. Every man should bear rule in his own house. --Esther i. 22. 5. To sustain; to have on (written or inscribed, or as a mark), as, the tablet bears this inscription. 6. To possess or carry, as a mark of authority or distinction; to wear; as, to bear a sword, badge, or name. 7. To possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to entertain; to harbor --Dryden. The ancient grudge I bear him. --Shak. 8. To endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer. Should such a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne. --Pope. I cannot bear The murmur of this lake to hear. --Shelley. My punishment is greater than I can bear. --Gen. iv. 13. 9. To gain or win. [Obs.] Some think to bear it by speaking a great word. --Bacon. She was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of friends and bribing of the judge. --Latimer. 10. To sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense, responsibility, etc. He shall bear their iniquities. --Is. liii. 11. Somewhat that will bear your charges. --Dryden. 11. To render or give; to bring forward. "Your testimony bear" --Dryden. 12. To carry on, or maintain; to have. "The credit of bearing a part in the conversation." --Locke. 13. To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change. In all criminal cases the most favorable interpretation should be put on words that they can possibly bear. --Swift. 14. To manage, wield, or direct. "Thus must thou thy body bear." --Shak. Hence: To behave; to conduct. Hath he borne himself penitently in prison ? --Shak. 15. To afford; to be to; to supply with. His faithful dog shall bear him company. --Pope. 16. To bring forth or produce; to yield; as, to bear apples; to bear children; to bear interest. Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore. --Dryden. Note: In the passive form of this verb, the best modern usage restricts the past participle born to the sense of brought forth, while borne is used in the other senses of the word. In the active form, borne alone is used as the past participle. To bear down. (a) To force into a lower place; to carry down; to depress or sink. "His nose, . . . large as were the others, bore them down into insignificance." --Marryat. (b) To overthrow or crush by force; as, to bear down an enemy. To bear a hand. (a) To help; to give assistance. (b) (Naut.) To make haste; to be quick. To bear in hand, to keep (one) up in expectation, usually by promises never to be realized; to amuse by false pretenses; to delude. [Obs.] "How you were borne in hand, how crossed." --Shak. To bear in mind, to remember. To bear off. (a) To restrain; to keep from approach. (b) (Naut.) To remove to a distance; to keep clear from rubbing against anything; as, to bear off a blow; to bear off a boat. (c) To gain; to carry off, as a prize. To bear one hard, to owe one a grudge. [Obs.] "C[ae]sar doth bear me hard." --Shak. To bear out. (a) To maintain and support to the end; to defend to the last. "Company only can bear a man out in an ill thing." --South. (b) To corroborate; to confirm. To bear up, to support; to keep from falling or sinking. "Religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings." --Addison. Syn: To uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer; endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft.
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Audio Help [bair] Pronunciation Key verb, bore or (Archaic
