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bear down
Slang Dictionary

bear definition


  1. n.
    a difficult task. : This problem is a real bear.
  2. n.
    an ugly woman. (Derogatory.) : Tell the old bear to hold her tongue.
  3. n.
    a highway patrol officer. (See also Smokey (the Bear).) : There's a bear hiding under that bridge.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

bear down

  1. Press or weigh down on someone or something. For example, This pen doesn't write unless you bear down hard on it. [Late 1600s]

  2. Try hard, intensify one's efforts, as in If you'll just bear down, you'll pass the test.

  3. Move forward in a pressing or threatening way, as in The ferry bore down on our little skiff. This usage was originally nautical. [Early 1700s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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