black bear

noun

: the common North American bear (Ursus americanus) ranging in color from brown or typical black to white

Illustration of black bear

Illustration of black bear

Examples of black bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At the right angle, Duke does resemble a black bear. Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023 For most trail runners, bear spray is overkill in black bear country. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 5 Oct. 2023 The agency encourages residents and visitors in Pennsylvania’s bear country to keep all food sources secure in order to prevent encounters like Mike’s with habituated black bears. Sage Marshall, Field & Stream, 7 Sep. 2023 Rescuers moved Na the Asiatic black bear from her cage at a bear bile farm in Vietnam to a large, open habitat at a sanctuary For the first time in 20 years, Na the bear has choices. Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023 The criminal was a black bear estimated to weigh 300 to 400 pounds, WOFL-TV reported. CBS News, 8 Nov. 2023 Surrounded by mountains and shaggy, dense boreal forest, the area is home to diverse wildlife including moose, caribou, and American black bears. Clem De Pressigny, Vogue, 8 Nov. 2023 Although many believe the polar bear is the only white bear in the world, the Kermode is also a shade of white, but more closely related to the black bear. Jonny Bierman, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2023 To his surprise, the camera captured footage of a large black bear busting some rather unexpected moves, according to Storyful. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 25 Oct. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black bear was in 1589

Dictionary Entries Near black bear

Cite this Entry

“Black bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20bear. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

black bear

noun
: the common usually black-furred bear found in North American forests

More from Merriam-Webster on black bear

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