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Webster 1913 Edition

Wear

Wear

(wēr; 277)
,
Noun.
Same as
Weir
.

Wear

(wâr)
,
Verb.
T.
[Cf.
Veer
.]
(Naut.)
To cause to go about, as a vessel, by putting the helm up, instead of alee as in tacking, so that the vessel’s bow is turned away from, and her stern is presented to, the wind, and, as she turns still farther, her sails fill on the other side; to veer.

Wear

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp.
Wore
(wōr)
;
p. p.
Worn
(wōrn)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Wearing
. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the
imp. & p. p.
being
Weared
.]
[OE.
weren
,
werien
, AS.
werian
to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin to OHG.
werien
,
weren
, to clothe, Goth.
wasjan
, L.
vestis
clothing,
vestire
to clothe, Gr.
ἑννύναι
, Skr.
vas
. Cf.
Vest
.]
1.
To carry or bear upon the person; to bear upon one's self, as an article of clothing, decoration, warfare, bondage, etc.; to have appendant to one's body; to have on;
as, to
wear
a coat; to
wear
a shackle.
What compass will you
wear
your farthingale?
Shakespeare
On her white breast a sparkling cross she
wore
,
Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore.
Pope.
2.
To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or manner; to bear;
as, she
wears
a smile on her countenance
.
“He wears the rose of youth upon him.”
Shak.
His innocent gestures
wear

A meaning half divine.
Keble.
3.
To use up by carrying or having upon one's self; hence, to consume by use; to waste; to use up;
as, to
wear
clothes rapidly
.
4.
To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend.
That wicked wight his days doth
wear
.
Spenser.
The waters
wear
the stones.
Job xiv. 19.
5.
To cause or make by friction or wasting;
as, to
wear
a channel; to
wear
a hole
.
6.
To form or shape by, or as by, attrition.
Trials
wear
us into a liking of what, possibly, in the first essay, displeased us.
Locke.
To wear away
,
to consume; to impair, diminish, or destroy, by gradual attrition or decay.
–
To wear off
,
to diminish or remove by attrition or slow decay; as, to wear off the nap of cloth.
–
To wear on
or
To wear upon
,
to wear.
[Obs.]
“[I] weared upon my gay scarlet gites [gowns.]”
Chaucer.
–
To wear out
.
(a)
To consume, or render useless, by attrition or decay;
as,
to wear out
a coat or a book
.
(b)
To consume tediously.
“To wear out miserable days.”
Milton.
(c)
To harass; to tire.
“[He] shall wear out the saints of the Most High.”
Dan vii. 25.
(d)
To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in military service.
–
To wear the breeches
.
See under
Breeches
.
[Colloq.]

Wear

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To endure or suffer use; to last under employment; to bear the consequences of use, as waste, consumption, or attrition;
as, a coat
wears
well or ill
; – hence, sometimes applied to character, qualifications, etc.;
as, a man
wears
well as an acquaintance
.
2.
To be wasted, consumed, or diminished, by being used; to suffer injury, loss, or extinction by use or time; to decay, or be spent, gradually.
“Thus wore out night.”
Milton.
Away, I say; time
wears
.
Shakespeare
Thou wilt surely
wear
away, both thou and this people that is with thee.
Ex. xviii. 18.
His stock of money began to
wear
very low.
Sir W. Scott.
The family . . .
wore
out in the earlier part of the century.
Beaconsfield.
To wear off
,
to pass away by degrees;
as, the follies of youth
wear off
with age
.
–
To wear on
,
to pass on;
as, time
wears on
.
G. Eliot.
–
To wear weary
,
to become weary, as by wear, long occupation, tedious employment, etc.

Wear

,
Noun.
1.
The act of wearing, or the state of being worn; consumption by use; diminution by friction;
as, the
wear
of a garment
.
2.
The thing worn; style of dress; the fashion.
Motley 's the only
wear
.
Shakespeare
Wear and tear
,
the loss by wearing, as of machinery in use; the loss or injury to which anything is subjected by use, accident, etc.
{

Weir

(wēr)
,

Wear

,}
Noun.
[OE.
wer
, AS.
wer
; akin to G.
wehr
, AS.
werian
to defend, protect, hinder, G.
wehren
, Goth.
warjan
; and perhaps to E.
wary
; or cf. Skr.
vṛ
to check, hinder. √142. Cf.
Garret
.]
1.
A dam in a river to stop and raise the water, for the purpose of conducting it to a mill, forming a fish pond, or the like.
2.
A fence of stakes, brushwood, or the like, set in a stream, tideway, or inlet of the sea, for taking fish.
3.
A long notch with a horizontal edge, as in the top of a vertical plate or plank, through which water flows, – used in measuring the quantity of flowing water.

Webster 1828 Edition

Wear

WEAR

,
Verb.
T.
pret. wore; pp. worn.
1.
To waste or impair by rubbing or attrition; to lessen or diminish by time, use or instruments. A current of water often wears a channel in limestone.
2.
To carry appendant to the body, as clothes or weapons; as, to wear a coat or a robe; to wear a sword; to wear a crown.
On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore.
3.
To have or exhibit an appearance; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance.
4.
To affect by degrees.
Trials wear us into a liking of what possible, in the first essay, displeased us.
To wear away, to consume; to impair, diminish or destroy by gradual attrition or decay.
To wear off, to diminish by attrition or slow decay.
To wear out,
1.
To consume; to render useless by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book.
2.
To consume tediously; as, to wear out life in idle projects.
3.
To harass; to tire.
He shall wear out the saints of the Most High. Daniel 7.
4.
To waste the strength of; as an old amn worn out in the service of his country.

WEAR

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To be wasted; to be diminished by attrition, by use, or by time.
Thou wilt surely wear away. Exodus 18.
2.
To be tediously spent.
Thus wore out night.
3.
To be consumed by slow degrees. It is better to wear out, than to rust out.
To wear off, to pass away by degrees. The follies of youth wear off with age.

WEAR

,
Noun.
1.
The act of wearing; diminution by friction; as the wear and tear of a garment.
2.
The thing worn.

WEAR

,
Noun.
[See Warren and Guard.]
1.
A dam in a river to stop and raise the water, for conducting it to a mill, or for taking fish.
2.
An instrument or kind of basket work for catching fish.

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