bear

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

a : to give birth to b : to produce as yield c (1) : to permit growth of (2) : contain <oil-bearing shale>

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

4

: thrust, press

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

1. a symphony that can bear comparison with Beethoven's best
2. The company agreed to bear the costs.
3. The criminals must bear full responsibility for the deaths of these innocent people.
4. Who will bear the blame for this tragedy?
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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
10. 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

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

Synonyms: birth [chiefly dialect], deliver, drop, have, mother, produce, give birth to, live with, lump (it), stand for, tough (it) out

Antonyms: disavow, disclaim, disown, repudiate

Related Words: labor; breed, multiply, propagate, reproduce, spawn; beget, father, generate, get, sire; calve, kid, kindle, kitten, litter, pup, whelp

Near Antonyms: abort, lose, miscarry

see all synonyms and antonyms

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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>.