Definition of bear
bears
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
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Examples of bear in a Sentence
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
a mother bear and her cubs
The bears outnumbered the bulls on Wall Street today.
Origin and Etymology of bear
Middle English bere, from Old English bera; akin to Old English brūn brown — more at brown
First Known Use: before 12th century
Definition of bear
bore
play \ˈbȯr\;borne
alsoborn
play \ˈbȯrn\;bearing
transitive verb
1a : to move while holding up and supporting (something)b : to be equipped or furnished with (something)c : behave, conduct bearing himself welld : to have as a feature or characteristic bears a likeness to her grandmothere : to give as testimony bear false witnessf : to have as an identification bore the name of Johng : to hold in the mind or emotions bear maliceh : disseminatei : lead, escortj : render, give
2a : to give birth tob : to produce as yieldc (1) : to permit growth of (2) : contain oil-bearing shale
3a : to support the weight of : sustainb : to accept or allow oneself to be subjected to especially without giving way couldn't bear the pain I can't bear seeing you cryc : to call for as suitable or essential it bears watchingd : to hold above, on top, or alofte : to admit of : allowf : assume, accept
intransitive verb
1 : to produce fruit : yield
2a : to force one's wayb : to extend in a direction indicated or impliedc : to be situated : lied : to become directede : to go or incline in an indicated direction
3 : to support a weight or strain —often used with up
4a : to exert influence or forceb : apply, pertain —often used with on or upon facts bearing on the question
bear a hand
bear arms
bear fruit
bear in mind
bear with
Examples of bear in a Sentence
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
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?
Usage Note on bear
There is considerable confusion between the verbs bear and bare. It may help to remember that the verb bare has only one meaning: "to uncover," as in "bare your shoulders" and "a dog baring its teeth." All other uses of the verb are for bear: "bearing children," "the right to bear arms," "bearing up under the stress/weight," "can't bear the thought," "bear south," "it bears repeating."
There is occasional confusion between bear and bare in adjectival uses (as in "he rubbed his bear arms"), but bear is properly a noun and only used like an adjective in the financial phrase bear market. All other uses refer to the state of being uncovered or naked and should therefore be bare: "bare necessities," "bare essentials," "bare arms," "bare bones," "bare-knuckle," and so on.
Origin and Etymology 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
Synonym Discussion of bear
Bear
playDefinition of Bear
river 350 miles (563 kilometers) long in northern Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho flowing to Great Salt Lake
BEAR Defined for English Language Learners
bear
playDefinition of bear for English Language Learners
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: any one of a group of large and heavy animals that have thick hair and sharp claws and that can stand on two legs like a person
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finance : a person who expects the price of stocks to go down and who sells them to avoid losing money
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: something that is difficult to do or deal with
bear
playDefinition of bear for English Language Learners
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: to accept or endure (something) ( US )
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: to be worthy of (something) : to deserve or allow (something)
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: to assume or accept (something, such as cost or responsibility)
BEAR Defined for Kids
Definition of bear for Students
bears
1 or plural bear : a large heavy mammal with long shaggy hair and a very short tail
2 : a person resembling a bear in size or behavior a large bear of a man He acted like a grumpy old bear.
Definition of bear for Students
bore
\ˈbȯr\;borne
\ˈbȯrn\;bearing
1 : 1support 1 bear weight
2 : to move while holding up and supporting : carry They came bearing gifts.
3 : to hold in the mind She bears a grudge.
4 : to put up with I can't bear the suspense.
5 : to assume or accept bear the blame
6 : to have as a feature or characteristic She bears a resemblance to her sister.
7 : give birth to bear children
8 : 1produce 1 trees bearing fruit bear interest
bear down on
bear in mind
bear up
bear with
Medical Dictionary
Law Dictionary
bear
playLegal Definition of bear
bore
\ˈbōr\ play playborne
\ˈbōrn\ alsoborn
transitive verb
1 : to physically carry (as an object or message) the right of the people to keep and bear arms — U.S. Constitution amend. II
2 : yield the stock will bear a dividend
3a : to admit of : allow whatever price the market will bear b : assume, accept you bear legal responsibility for him
intransitive verb
: to relate or have relevance will admit evidence bearing on her defense
Learn More about bear
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See words that rhyme with bear Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bear Spanish Central: Translation of bear Nglish: Translation of bear for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bear for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bear
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