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
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 6 Feb. 2026
Swimsuits, skincare, and tech gear are partially spilling out of the bottom, now held together by a measly white trash bag.
—Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
On the surface, this American-British group’s music seems geared mostly to dance floors with its inviting mix of R&B, funk and vocal harmonies that nod to The Supremes and other classic 1960s artists and such 1970s favorites as Chic and Sister Sledge, by way of Destiny’s Child.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gear
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Noun
In the future, it could be used for developing high-performance, sustainable materials for everything from aerospace engineering to advanced protective gear.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 6 Feb. 2026
Swimsuits, skincare, and tech gear are partially spilling out of the bottom, now held together by a measly white trash bag.
—Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
The e-bike incentive program was geared toward lower-income individuals with household incomes at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
On the surface, this American-British group’s music seems geared mostly to dance floors with its inviting mix of R&B, funk and vocal harmonies that nod to The Supremes and other classic 1960s artists and such 1970s favorites as Chic and Sister Sledge, by way of Destiny’s Child.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gear
Cite this Entry
“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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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