bear
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1bear
noun, often attributive \ˈber\ plural bears
Definition of BEAR
1
or plural bear : any of a family (Ursidae of the order Carnivora) of large heavy mammals of America and Eurasia that have long shaggy hair, rudimentary tails, and plantigrade feet and feed largely on fruit, plant matter, and insects as well as on flesh
2
: a surly, uncouth, burly, or shambling person <a tall, friendly bear of a man>
3
[probably from the proverb about selling the bearskin before catching the bear] : one that sells securities or commodities in expectation of a price decline — compare bull
4
: something difficult to do or deal with <the oven is a bear to clean>
— bear·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective
See Examples of BEAR
- a mother bear and her cubs
- The bears outnumbered the bulls on Wall Street today.
- Traffic in Knoxville, Tennessee, can be a bear anytime, but in late spring the slowdowns on Neyland Drive are often caused by Canada geese. —Joelle Anthony, Audubon, November-December 2004
- True, the rally has been around the corner since Memorial Day. But bears have dominated market sentiment for so long since the Federal Reserve Board raised interest rates last February, that traders feel the market is headed for a major tectonic shift … —Anthony Ramirez, New York Times, 19 July 1994
- Hikers in the woods are far more likely to wear a bell to deter bears than to take precautions against bees. But bears kill two to seven people in North America annually, bee stings kill 600 to 900. —Allan J. Davison, Chemical & Engineering News, 15 Mar. 1993
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Origin of BEAR
Middle English bere, from Old English bera; akin to Old English brūn brown — more at brown
First Known Use: before 12th century
Rhymes with BEAR
air, Ayr, bare, Blair, blare, care, chair, chare, dare, Dare, e'er, ere, err, eyre, fair, fare, flair, flare, glair, glare, hair, hare, Herr, heir, lair, mare, ne'er, pair, pare, pear, prayer, rare, rear, scare, share, snare, spare, square, stair, stare, swear, tare, tear, their, there, vair, ware, wear, weir, where, yare
2bear
verb \ˈber\ bore \ˈbȯr\ borne also born \ˈbȯrn\ bear·ing
Definition of BEAR
transitive verb
1
a : to move while holding up and supporting (something) b : to be equipped or furnished with (something) c : behave, conduct <bearing himself well> d : to have as a feature or characteristic <bears a likeness to her grandmother> e : to give as testimony <bear false witness> f : to have as an identification <bore the name of John> g : to hold in the mind or emotions <bear malice> h : disseminate i : lead, escort j : render, give
2
3
a : to support the weight of : sustain b : to accept or allow oneself to be subjected to especially without giving way <couldn't bear the pain> <I can't bear seeing you cry> c : to call for as suitable or essential <it bears watching> d : to hold above, on top, or aloft e : to admit of : allow f : assume, accept
intransitive verb
1
: to produce fruit : yield
2
a : to force one's way b : to extend in a direction indicated or implied c : to be situated : lie d : to become directed e : to go or incline in an indicated direction
3
: to support a weight or strain —often used with up
4
a : to exert influence or force b : apply, pertain —often used with on or upon <facts bearing on the question>
— bear a hand
: to join in and help out
— bear arms
1
: to carry or possess arms
2
: to serve as a soldier
— bear fruit
: to come to satisfying fruition, production, or development : to produce a desired result or reward
— bear in mind
: to think of (something) especially as a warning : remember
— bear with
: to be indulgent, patient, or forbearing with (someone)
Examples of BEAR
- a symphony that can bear comparison with Beethoven's best
- The company agreed to bear the costs.
- The criminals must bear full responsibility for the deaths of these innocent people.
- Who will bear the blame for this tragedy?
- A stone slab bearing 3,000-year-old writing previously unknown to scholars has been found in the Mexican state of Veracruz, and archaeologists say it is an example of the oldest script ever discovered in the Western Hemisphere. —John Noble Wilford,New York Times, 15 Sept. 2006
- Large public buildings often bear only a loose resemblance to what was originally in the minds of the architects who designed them. Things get cut back to save money; somebody has second thoughts about the way part of the building will function; it takes so long to get public approval that the original idea starts to seem dated … —Paul Goldberger, New Yorker, 17 Jan. 2002
- The most famous work of Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), of course, was purifying milk with the process that now bears his name. —Brendan Miniter, American Enterprise, September/October 1998
- In so-called parking schemes, securities aren't carried on the books of the true owner but are temporarily sold to someone else with the understanding that the seller will continue to bear any risk of loss and reap any profits. —James B. Stewart, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 1993
- As a science fiction buff, many years ago, I remember being particularly fascinated by tales of genetic surgery. Imagine the surgeon … peering through the electron microscope, repairing the sickle-cell gene and returning the ovum to its mother, who would then bear a normal child. —Richard Novick, New York Times Book Review, 15 Feb.1987
- The sight of Niña already there, snugged down as if she had been at home a month, finished Martín Alonso Pinzón. Older than Columbus, ill from the hardships of the voyage, mortified by his snub from the Sovereigns, he could bear no more. —Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America, 1974
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Origin of BEAR
Middle English beren to carry, bring forth, from Old English beran; akin to Old High German beran to carry, Latin ferre, Greek pherein
First Known Use: before 12th century
Related to BEAR
Synonym Discussion of BEAR
bear, suffer, endure, abide, tolerate, stand mean to put up with something trying or painful. bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking <forced to bear a tragic loss>. suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing <suffering many insults>. endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties <endured years of rejection>. abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest <cannot abide their rudeness>. tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful <refused to tolerate such treatment>. stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching <unable to stand teasing>.
Bear
geographical name \ˈber\Definition of BEAR
river 350 miles (563 kilometers) N Utah, SW Wyoming, & SE Idaho flowing to Great Salt Lake
bear
transitive verb \ˈba(ə)r, ˈbe(ə)r\ (Medical Dictionary)bore \ˈbō(ə)r, ˈbȯ(ə)r\ borne \ˈbō(ə)rn, ˈbȯ(ə)rn\ also born \ˈbȯ(ə)rn\ bear·ing
Medical Definition of BEAR
: to give birth to
bear
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)Generally massive, short-legged mammals constituting the family Ursidae. Bears are the most recently evolved carnivore, found in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Closely related to the dog and the raccoon, most bears climb with ease and are strong swimmers. As a family, they are omnivores, but dietary preferences vary among species (the polar bear feeds mainly on seals, the spectacled bear on vegetation, etc.). Though they do not truly hibernate, bears often sleep fitfully through much of the winter. They live 15–30 years in the wild but much longer in captivity. They have been hunted as trophies, for hides, and for food. See also black bear; brown bear; sun bear.
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