Illustration of gear
- G gear 6a(2)
2
: equipment, paraphernalia
fishing gear
3
a
: the rigging of a ship or boat
b
: the harness especially of horses
4
dialectal, chiefly British
: absurd talk : nonsense
5
dialectal, chiefly British
: doings
6
a(1)
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a complete machine
steering gear
(2)
: a toothed wheel
(3)
: working relation, position, order, or adjustment
got her career in gear
(4)
: a level or pace of functioning
kicked their performance into high gear
b
: one of two or more adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine mechanical advantage, relative speed, and direction of travel
geared; gearing; gears
1
a
: to provide (machinery) with gearing (see gearing sense 2)
b
: to connect by gearing (see gearing sense 1)
2
a
: to make ready for effective operation
b
: to adjust so as to match, blend with, or satisfy something
gearing wages to productivity
1
a
British, of machinery
: to be in gear : mesh
b
: shift sense 1c
gear down
2
: to become adjusted so as to match, blend, or harmonize
The industry is geared to meet growing consumer demand.
Synonyms
Examples of gear in a Sentence
Noun
I somehow managed to pack all my gear into one suitcase.
soldiers in full combat gear
a complicated arrangement of gears and shafts
a car with four forward gears
Halfway up the hill, my bike slipped out of gear.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brandon Russell, Popular Mechanics, 8 Sep. 2023
Tall custom cabinets hold fishing gear and other supplies, and the peg rack is a catch-all spot for jackets and lake house necessities.
—Rhonda Reinhart, Country Living, 8 Sep. 2023
Shrek fans wanting to rock some gear from the popular movie are in luck.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2023
But once the sun starts sinking, a whitetail’s appetite kicks into gear, and deer will get up and get serious about filling their rumbling bellies.
—Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 6 Sep. 2023
The Harley-Davidson brand has stamped its mark on motorcycle culture by delivering a lifestyle with distinctive and customizable motorcycles, experiences, accessories, riding gear and apparel.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023
Runners and cyclists invest in headlamps and glow-in-the-dark gear.
—Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2023
Add to your warm gear with the North Face’s Labor Day Sale, which features up to 50% off select sale styles.
—Bellamy Richardson, wsj.com, 6 Sep. 2023
Yearning for more touches when there was snow on the ground, Barrett tossed on her winter gear and practiced penalty kicks.
—Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023
Siobhan Reid, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2023
The platform is geared toward African creators and audiences and offers editing, hosting, and monetization tools for podcasters and also serves as a player and podcast discovery tool for audiences.
—Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 5 Sep. 2023
Some are geared towards layering and cool-weather treks, and others are made with odor-inhibiting properties for long journeys.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2023
Hardwicke tried to find acting classes for Reed, but the only ones available were geared toward either adults or young children.
—Carlos Aguilar, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2023
The content of this program is geared toward caregivers of children ages 18 months to 6 years (with or without developmental concerns).
—Rich Heileman, cleveland, 25 Aug. 2023
The program is free, geared toward ages 2 to 6 with caregivers present.
—John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2023
The flurry of legal actions from conservative groups has prompted some companies to retreat from public targets for racial diversity in their executive ranks and from leadership training programs geared to underrepresented groups.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023
Most developers are geared toward building traditional housing — single homes, condominiums, apartments — that tend to sell at the high end.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
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Noun
Shop Greenworks 80-Volt Cordless Leaf Blower Brandon Russell Brandon Russell is a freelance writer covering gear and technology.
—Brandon Russell, Popular Mechanics, 8 Sep. 2023
Tall custom cabinets hold fishing gear and other supplies, and the peg rack is a catch-all spot for jackets and lake house necessities.
—Rhonda Reinhart, Country Living, 8 Sep. 2023
Shrek fans wanting to rock some gear from the popular movie are in luck.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2023
But once the sun starts sinking, a whitetail’s appetite kicks into gear, and deer will get up and get serious about filling their rumbling bellies.
—Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 6 Sep. 2023
The Harley-Davidson brand has stamped its mark on motorcycle culture by delivering a lifestyle with distinctive and customizable motorcycles, experiences, accessories, riding gear and apparel.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023
Runners and cyclists invest in headlamps and glow-in-the-dark gear.
—Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2023
Add to your warm gear with the North Face’s Labor Day Sale, which features up to 50% off select sale styles.
—Bellamy Richardson, wsj.com, 6 Sep. 2023
Yearning for more touches when there was snow on the ground, Barrett tossed on her winter gear and practiced penalty kicks.
—Cam Kerry, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023
Verb
The nearby Lily of the Valley resort is geared toward weight-loss, with multi-day programs developed by renowned Parisian nutritionist Jacques Fricker.
—Siobhan Reid, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2023
The platform is geared toward African creators and audiences and offers editing, hosting, and monetization tools for podcasters and also serves as a player and podcast discovery tool for audiences.
—Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 5 Sep. 2023
Some are geared towards layering and cool-weather treks, and others are made with odor-inhibiting properties for long journeys.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2023
Hardwicke tried to find acting classes for Reed, but the only ones available were geared toward either adults or young children.
—Carlos Aguilar, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2023
The content of this program is geared toward caregivers of children ages 18 months to 6 years (with or without developmental concerns).
—Rich Heileman, cleveland, 25 Aug. 2023
The program is free, geared toward ages 2 to 6 with caregivers present.
—John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2023
The flurry of legal actions from conservative groups has prompted some companies to retreat from public targets for racial diversity in their executive ranks and from leadership training programs geared to underrepresented groups.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023
Most developers are geared toward building traditional housing — single homes, condominiums, apartments — that tend to sell at the high end.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English gere, from Old Norse gervi, gǫrvi; akin to Old English gearwe equipment, clothing, gearu ready — more at yare
Verb
derivative of gear entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1851, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of gear was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing gear
Dictionary Entries Near gear
Cite this Entry
“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
gear
1 of 2 noun1
: equipment sense 2
camping gear
electronic gear
2
a
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a machine
steering gear
b
: a toothed wheel : cogwheel
3
a
: working order, relation, or adjustment
got her career in gear
b
: one of the adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine the direction of travel and the relative speed of the engine and the vehicle
gear
2 of 2 verb1
: to provide or connect with gearing
2
: to prepare for operation
gear up for production
3
: to make suitable
a book geared for children
More from Merriam-Webster on gear
Nglish: Translation of gear for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of gear for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gear
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