Main Entry: bear·ing

Function: noun

Date: 13th century

1 : the manner in which one bears or comports oneself
2 a : the act, power, or time of bringing forth offspring or fruit b : a product of bearing : crop
3 a : an object, surface, or point that supports b : a machine part in which another part (as a journal or pin) turns or slides
4 : a figure borne on a heraldic field
5 : pressure, thrust
6 a : the situation or horizontal direction of one point with respect to another or to the compass b : a determination of position c plural : comprehension of one's position, environment, or situation d : relation, connection; also : purport
7 : the part of a structural member that rests on its supports

synonyms bearing, deportment, demeanor, mien, manner, carriage mean the outward manifestation of personality or attitude. bearing is the most general of these words but now usually implies characteristic posture <a woman of regal bearing>. deportment suggests actions or behavior as formed by breeding or training <your deportment was atrocious>. demeanor suggests one's attitude toward others as expressed in outward behavior <the haughty demeanor of the headwaiter>. mien is a literary term referring both to bearing and demeanor <a mien of supreme self-satisfaction>. manner implies characteristic or customary way of moving and gesturing and addressing others <the imperious manner of a man used to giving orders>. carriage applies chiefly to habitual posture in standing or walking <the kind of carriage learned at boarding school>.