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.
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
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 20 Oct. 2025
After checking into the Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa, my eyes immediately focused on a group of fans from Texas donning Hagar gear.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
James Factora, Them., 21 Oct. 2025
But Gronnemark is not alone in feeling that an approach geared around set plays, lengthy stoppages and restarts threatens to take a lot of the energy, excitement and enjoyment out of matches.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gear
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
Olivia Culpo, wife of San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and mother of their 4-month-old daughter Colette, balanced a comfy and stylish game day ‘fit with pumping gear, and, by her own admission, a wild hangover while watching her husband’s team triumph over the Atlanta Falcons.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 20 Oct. 2025
After checking into the Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa, my eyes immediately focused on a group of fans from Texas donning Hagar gear.
—Mark Gray, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
Prior to winning, Vader spoke with TheWrap to discuss the importance of a competition specifically geared toward women.
—James Factora, Them., 21 Oct. 2025
But Gronnemark is not alone in feeling that an approach geared around set plays, lengthy stoppages and restarts threatens to take a lot of the energy, excitement and enjoyment out of matches.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gear
Cite this Entry
“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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