weight-bearing

noun

weight-bear·​ing ˈwāt-ˌber-iŋ 

: the act or state of supporting or withstanding the weight of something (such as a building or the body)

The involved bones are deformed by the stress of weight-bearing or even by the normal pull of attached muscles.

—Sue Rodwell Williams

If Iguanodon walked on all fours, then the hand and wrist ought to be adapted for weight-bearing.

—Pat Shipman

—usually used before another noun

For bones, weight-bearing activities like walking, running and weight lifting are especially important.

—Claudia Kalb

An athlete who suffers an injury to a major weight-bearing joint, such as the hip or knee, is five to seven times more likely to develop degenerative arthritis than an average member of the population.

—William Nack

Engineers typically use strain gauges to measure the stresses on automobile parts, chains, bridges and other weight-bearing objects.

—Discover

… structural steel, elevators and telephones were emancipating urban architecture from limits imposed by the weight-bearing capacity of stone walls and the stair-climbing endurance of people.

—George F. Will

Examples of weight-bearing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For example, weight-bearing exercise is a key component to maintaining bone health, and that is effectively impossible in space. —Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 June 2023

In fact, a 2017 study found that regular jump rope can increase lower body bone density in female youth, and a 2018 study found that weight-bearing exercises like jump rope can improve bone health in postmenopausal women. —Andi Breitowich, Women's Health, 7 Apr. 2023

Also, doing strength training alongside balance and weight-bearing exercises can help prevent fractures due to falls.13 This type of exercise also does wonders for muscle aging and health. —Sarah Klein, Health, 4 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above