bear

UK /bɛə/US /bɛɚ/

noun 11
verb 40
adjective 1
forms 14
phrases 20

noun11

a large, heavy animal covered in rough hair, with a very short tail and flat feet
An investor who sells commodities, securities, or futures in anticipation of a fall in prices.
•
(US, informal) Something difficult or tiresome; a burden or chore.
- That window can be a bear to open.
•
The meat of this animal.
- We had barbecued bear for dinner.
(figurative) A rough, unmannerly, uncouth person.
•
(slang) A large, hairy man, especially one who is homosexual.
- Bear sought by masculine white male, 30, 5'8", 165 lbs, for weekly safe encounter. I'm in a long-term relationship and seek outside fun. You: tall, masculine, over 200 lbs, discreet, moustache. — 1990
•
(Australia) A koala (bear).
- Bunyip Bluegum was a tidy bear, he objected to whisker soup[.] — 1918
•
(US, slang) A state policeman (short for Smokey Bear).
- 'The bear's pulling somebody off there at 74,' reported someone else. — 1976
The fifteenth Lenormand card.
A portable punching machine.
A block covered with coarse matting, used to scour the deck.

verb40

•
to carry something such as gifts or news to a person or place
- They came bearing gifts.
- Judging from the look on his face, he wasn't bearing good news.
•
to accept and deal with pain, trouble or a difficult person without giving up
- The pain is too much for me to bear.
- It doesn’t bear thinking about.
•
to have a feature that can be seen, such as a mark, writing or a certain look
- She still bears the scars from a cycling accident.
- The stone bears a short inscription.
•
To display (a particular heraldic device) on a shield or coat of arms; to be entitled to wear or use (a heraldic device) as a coat of arms.
- The shield bore a red cross.
•
To present or exhibit (a particular outward appearance); to have (a certain look).
- He bore the look of a defeated man.
•
to be known by a certain name or title
- The school still bears the name of its founder.
•
to have a particular reputation, value or price
- The dictator bears a terrible reputation for cruelty.
•
to have interest added at a rate set in an agreement, as a loan or a savings account does
- The bond bears a fixed interest rate of 3.5%.
•
To have (an appendage, organ, etc.) as part of the body; (of a part of the body) to have (an appendage).
- Only the male Indian elephant bears tusks.
To possess inherently (a quality, attribute, power, or capacity); to have and display as an essential characteristic.
To produce, yield, give birth to.
•
To give birth to (someone or something) (may take the father of the direct object as an indirect object).
- In Troy she becomes Paris’ wife, bearing him several children, all of whom die in infancy.
- The twins were borne by an Italian mother.
•
To produce or yield something, such as fruit or crops.
- This year our apple trees bore a good crop of fruit.
•
to take the weight of something and hold it up
- This stone bears most of the weight.
•
to be the one who must pay a cost or who is held responsible for something
- The hirer must bear the cost of any repairs.
•
to have and keep a feeling toward someone, often an angry or unfriendly one
- to bear a grudge, to bear ill will
•
(rare) To feel and show (respect, reverence, loyalty, etc.) to, towards, or unto a person or thing.
- The brothers had always borne one another respect.
•
To have (a relation, correspondence, etc.) to something else.
- The punishment bears no relation to the crime.
•
to have a certain meaning or purpose, as a word or a message does
- This word no longer bears its original meaning.
•
(figurative) to be connected with a question or situation and have an effect on it, usually followed by "on" or "upon"
- to bring arguments to bear
- How does this bear on the question?
•
to go in a particular direction, often by turning a little to the left or right
- Carry on past the church and then bear left at the junction.
- By my readings, we're bearing due south, so we should turn about ten degrees east.
To support, sustain, or endure.
•
to carry or wear something such as a weapon, a flag or a sign of rank, often where people can see it
- the right to bear arms
•
To wear (garments, pieces of jewellery, etc.).
- The queen bore the royal scepter and crown as she processed into the hall.
•
To give (written or oral testimony or evidence); (figurative) to provide or constitute (evidence or proof), give witness.
- His achievements bear testimony to his ability.
- The jury could see he was bearing false witness.
•
to be important enough to need a certain action, such as watching closely or saying again
- This storm definitely bears monitoring.
•
to be pregnant with a baby or young animal
- The scan showed that the ewe was bearing twins.
•
[with oneself] to behave in a particular way, used with words such as "herself" or "himself"
- She bore herself well throughout the ordeal.
To support, keep up, or maintain.
•
To carry on, or maintain; to have.
- […] and he finds the Pleasure, and Credit of bearing a Part in the Conversation, and of having his Reasons sometimes approved and hearken'd to. — 1693
•
To admit or be capable of (a meaning); to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change.
- In all criminal cases the most favourable interpretation should be put on words that they can possibly bear. — 1724
•
to be pointed at a target, said of a gun or other weapon
- The cannons were wheeled around to bear upon the advancing troops.
To press or impinge upon.
•
To push, thrust, press.
- The rope has frayed where it bears on the rim of the wheel.
to try to make prices on a financial market fall, often by selling large amounts of shares
•
To afford, to be something to someone, to supply with something.
- […] admitted to that equal sky, / His faithful dog shall bear him company. — 1732
•
(rare) To possess and use, to exercise (power or influence); to hold (an office, rank, or position).
- Every man should bear rule in his own house. — 1611
(no longer used) To carry a burden or burdens.
•
(no longer used, rare) To take or bring (a person) with oneself; to conduct.
- Bear them to my house. — 1594
•
(no longer used) to win something such as a prize or an argument by doing better than others
- Some think to bear it by speaking a great word. — 1625

adjective1

•
Characterized by declining prices in securities markets or by belief that the prices will fall.
- The great bear market starting in 1929 scared a whole generation of investors.

forms

beared · bore · bare · barest · borest · born · borne · ybore · yborn · bearing · beareth · bears · bearest · bearen

Phrases with bear