gear

1 of 2

noun

1
b
: movable property : goods
2
: equipment, paraphernalia
fishing gear
3
a
: the rigging of a ship or boat
b
: the harness especially of horses
4
dialectal, chiefly British : absurd talk : nonsense
5
dialectal, chiefly British : doings
6
a(1)
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a complete machine
steering gear
(2)
: a toothed wheel
(3)
: working relation, position, order, or adjustment
got her career in gear
(4)
: a level or pace of functioning
kicked their performance into high gear
b
: one of two or more adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine mechanical advantage, relative speed, and direction of travel
gearless adjective

Illustration of gear

Illustration of gear
  • G gear 6a(2)

gear

2 of 2

verb

geared; gearing; gears

transitive verb

1
a
: to provide (machinery) with gearing (see gearing sense 2)
b
: to connect by gearing (see gearing sense 1)
2
a
: to make ready for effective operation
b
: to adjust so as to match, blend with, or satisfy something
gearing wages to productivity

intransitive verb

1
a
British, of machinery : to be in gear : mesh
b
: shift sense 1c
gear down
2
: to become adjusted so as to match, blend, or harmonize
The industry is geared to meet growing consumer demand.

Examples of gear in a Sentence

Noun I somehow managed to pack all my gear into one suitcase. soldiers in full combat gear a complicated arrangement of gears and shafts a car with four forward gears Halfway up the hill, my bike slipped out of gear.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The sports company has sponsored the DFB’s gear through some of the national soccer team’s most iconic moments, including at four men’s World Cups, two women’s World Cups and numerous European titles. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 22 Mar. 2024 In the snap, Swift is, of course, fully decked out in red and white KC gear, while Carmichael is rocking a fuzzy coat over a red jersey. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024 Modern Amazon river dolphins called boto are considered critically endangered and their primary threats include habitat loss and degradation and getting entangled in fishing gear. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Mar. 2024 The men have filed plea agreements that involved them forfeiting their unregistered rifles, tactical gear, and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 20 Mar. 2024 Since the arrival of the first forms of modern gaming decades ago, the world of video games, and gear associated with the hobby, has multiplied in size. Mason Leib, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Both men pleaded guilty to the charges, and as part of their plea agreement, agreed to forfeit the rifles, night vision goggles, and other gear, including over 4,000 rounds of ammunition. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2024 If necessary, mechanics will inspect and replace the gear shifter assembly for free. USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Image On a recent Tuesday at the New Jersey training center managed by her husband, gloves, shoes and gear piled out of Ms. Reis’s purplish-pink suitcase on the outer edge of a boxing ring. Stefano Montali, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024
Verb
Airlines including Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Wizz Air Holdings Plc have been forced to trim growth plans due to repairs required on Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines that sit under many A320 wings. Anthony Palazzo, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 Now toner usually refers to liquid formulations geared toward oily skin that's in need of gentle exfoliation and resurfacing. Sarah Y. Wu, Glamour, 8 Mar. 2024 Biden’s speech in Arizona was the second stop in a tour geared towards rallying women voters around her husband, President Joe Biden. Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 2 Mar. 2024 In the Elordi sketch, Fineman’s character is the lead on a dating reality show geared toward men of less-than-average height. Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 24 Feb. 2024 The new entry, which continues to pack the punches and puns, is geared to kids, of course, but contains some mildly scary moments. Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 It is geared toward people who are 18 years and older who are not on insulin and who do not have problematic hypoglycemia. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 The derogatory comments were largely geared toward Black and LGTBQ+ residents. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2024 This newest addition is geared toward families and teams, and all 390 rooms are pet-friendly, so no one needs to stay behind. Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gere, from Old Norse gervi, gǫrvi; akin to Old English gearwe equipment, clothing, gearu ready — more at yare

Verb

derivative of gear entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1851, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gear was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gear

Cite this Entry

“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gear

1 of 2 noun
1
: equipment sense 2
camping gear
electronic gear
2
a
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a machine
steering gear
b
: a toothed wheel : cogwheel
3
a
: working order, relation, or adjustment
got her career in gear
b
: one of the adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine the direction of travel and the relative speed of the engine and the vehicle
gearless adjective

gear

2 of 2 verb
1
: to provide or connect with gearing
2
: to prepare for operation
gear up for production
3
: to make suitable
a book geared for children

More from Merriam-Webster on gear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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