black bear

noun

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

Illustration of black bear

Examples of black bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

New video released this week shows a tense encounter in Colorado in which a sheriff's deputy was forced to shoot and kill a charging mother black bear. — Andrew Gutierrez, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

Was getting the bear to back off of his catch worth taking a chance on a violent encounter with a black bear? — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Haakenson carries a tag for brown bear, black bear, and moose this time of year. — Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2026

In June, a black bear followed and then attacked and scratched a hiker in Golden, Colorado. — ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for black bear

• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare
• compare

Kids Definition

black bear

noun

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