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wear the trousers

 - 2 dictionary results
wear   (wâr)   
v.   wore (wôr, wōr), worn (wôrn, wōrn), wear·ing, wears

v.   tr.
  1. To carry or have on the person as covering, adornment, or protection: wearing a jacket; must wear a seat belt.

  2. To carry or have habitually on the person, especially as an aid: wears glasses.

  3. To display in one's appearance: always wears a smile.

  4. To bear, carry, or maintain in a particular manner: wears her hair long.

  5. To fly or display (colors). Used of a ship, jockey, or knight.

  6. To damage, diminish, erode, or consume by long or hard use, attrition, or exposure. Often used with away, down, or off: rocks worn away by the sea; shoes worn down at the heels.

  7. To produce by constant use, attrition, or exposure: eventually wore hollows in the stone steps.

  8. To bring to a specified condition by long use or attrition: wore the clothes to rags; pebbles worn smooth.

  9. To fatigue, weary, or exhaust: Your incessant criticism has worn my patience.

  10. Nautical To make (a sailing ship) come about with the wind aft.

v.   intr.
    1. To last under continual or hard use: a fabric that will wear.

    2. To last through the passage of time: a friendship that wears well.

  1. To break down or diminish through use or attrition: The rear tires began to wear.

  2. To pass gradually or tediously: The hours wore on.

  3. Nautical To come about with stern to windward.

n.  
  1. The act of wearing or the state of being worn; use: The coat has had heavy wear.

  2. Clothing, especially of a particular kind or for a particular use. Often used in combination: rainwear; footwear.

  3. Gradual impairment or diminution resulting from use or attrition.

  4. The ability to withstand impairment from use or attrition: The engine has plenty of wear left.

  5. To make or become unusable through long or heavy use.

  6. To use up or consume gradually.

  7. To exhaust; tire.

  8. Chiefly Southern U.S. To punish by spanking.

Phrasal Verb(s):
wear downTo break down or exhaust by relentless pressure or resistance.
wear offTo diminish gradually in effect: The drug wore off.
wear out
  1. To make or become unusable through long or heavy use.

  2. To use up or consume gradually.

  3. To exhaust; tire.

  4. Chiefly Southern U.S. To punish by spanking.


Idiom(s):
wear the pants/trousers Informal To exercise controlling authority in a household.

Idiom(s):
wear thin
  1. To be weakened or eroded gradually: Her patience is wearing thin.

  2. To become less convincing, acceptable, or popular, as through repeated use: excuses that are wearing thin.


[Middle English weren, from Old English werian; see wes-2 in Indo-European roots.]
wear'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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wear the trousers

verb
exercise authority or be in charge; "Who is calling the shots in this house?" [syn: call the shots
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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