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Webster 1913 Edition

Bear

Bear

(bâr)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp.
Bore
(bōr)
(formerly
Bare
(bâr)
);
p. p.
Born
(bôrn)
,
Borne
(bōrn);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Bearing
.]
[OE.
beren
, AS.
beran
,
beoran
, to bear, carry, produce; akin to D.
baren
to bring forth, G.
gebären
, Goth.
baíran
to bear or carry, Icel.
bera
, Sw.
bära
, Dan.
bære
, OHG.
beran
,
peran
, L.
ferre
to bear, carry, produce, Gr.
φέρειν
, OSlav.
brati
to take, carry, OIr.
berim
I bear, Skr.
bhṛ
to bear. √92. Cf.
Fertile
.]
1.
To support or sustain; to hold up.
2.
To support and remove or carry; to convey.
I ’ll
bear
your logs the while.
Shakespeare
3.
To conduct; to bring; – said of persons.
[Obs.]
Bear
them to my house.
Shakespeare
4.
To possess and use, as power; to exercise.
Every man should
bear
rule in his own house.
Esther i. 22.
5.
To sustain; to have on (written or inscribed, or as a mark),
as, the tablet
bears
this inscription
.
6.
To possess or carry, as a mark of authority or distinction; to wear;
as, to
bear
a sword, badge, or name
.
7.
To possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to entertain; to harbor
Dryden.
The ancient grudge I
bear
him.
Shakespeare
8.
To endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer.
Should such a man, too fond to rule alone,
Bear
, like the Turk, no brother near the throne.
Pope.
I cannot
bear

The murmur of this lake to hear.
Shelley.
My punishment is greater than I can
bear
.
Gen. iv. 13.
9.
To gain or win.
[Obs.]
Some think to
bear
it by speaking a great word.
Bacon.
She was . . . found not guilty, through
bearing
of friends and bribing of the judge.
Latimer.
10.
To sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense, responsibility, etc.
He shall
bear
their iniquities.
Is. liii. 11.
Somewhat that will
bear
your charges.
Dryden.
11.
To render or give; to bring forward.
“Your testimony bear”
Dryden.
12.
To carry on, or maintain; to have.
“The credit of bearing a part in the conversation.”
Locke.
13.
To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change.
In all criminal cases the most favorable interpretation should be put on words that they can possibly
bear
.
Swift.
14.
To manage, wield, or direct.
“Thus must thou thy body bear.”
Shak.
Hence:
To behave; to conduct.
Hath he
borne
himself penitently in prison?
Shakespeare
15.
To afford; to be to; to supply with.
His faithful dog shall
bear
him company.
Pope.
16.
To bring forth or produce; to yield;
as, to
bear
apples; to
bear
children; to
bear
interest
.
Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos
bore
.
Dryden.
☞ In the passive form of this verb, the best modern usage restricts the past participle born to the sense of brought forth, while borne is used in the other senses of the word. In the active form, borne alone is used as the past participle.
To bear down
.
(a)
To force into a lower place; to carry down; to depress or sink.
“His nose, . . . large as were the others, bore them down into insignificance.”
Marryat.
(b)
To overthrow or crush by force;
as, to
bear down
an enemy
.
–
To bear a hand
.
(a)
To help; to give assistance.
(b)
(Naut.)
To make haste; to be quick.
–
To bear in hand
,
to keep (one) up in expectation, usually by promises never to be realized; to amuse by false pretenses; to delude.
[Obs.]
“How you were borne in hand, how crossed.”
Shak.
–
To bear in mind
,
to remember.
–
To bear off
.
(a)
To restrain; to keep from approach.
(b)
(Naut.)
To remove to a distance; to keep clear from rubbing against anything;
as, to
bear off
a blow; to
bear off
a boat
.
(c)
To gain; to carry off, as a prize.
(d)
(Backgammon)
To remove from the backgammon board into the home when the position of the piece and the dice provide the proper opportunity; – the goal of the game is to
bear off
all of one's men before the opponent.
–
To bear one hard
,
to owe one a grudge.
[Obs.]
“Cæsar doth bear me hard.”
Shak.
–
To bear out
.
(a)
To maintain and support to the end; to defend to the last.
“Company only can bear a man out in an ill thing.”
South.
(b)
To corroborate; to confirm.
–
To bear up
,
to support; to keep from falling or sinking.
“Religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings.”
Addison.
Syn. – To uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer; endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft.

Bear

(bâr)
,
Verb.
I.
1.
To produce, as fruit; to be fruitful, in opposition to barrenness.
This age to blossom, and the next to
bear
.
Dryden.
2.
To suffer, as in carrying a burden.
But man is born to
bear
.
Pope.
3.
To endure with patience; to be patient.
I can not, can not
bear
.
Dryden.
4.
To press; – with on or upon, or against.
These men
bear
hard on the suspected party.
Addison.
5.
To take effect; to have influence or force;
as, to bring matters to
bear
.
6.
To relate or refer; – with on or upon; as, how does this bear on the question?
7.
To have a certain meaning, intent, or effect.
Her sentence
bore
that she should stand a certain time upon the platform.
Hawthorne.
8.
To be situated, as to the point of compass, with respect to something else;
as, the land
bears
N. by E.
To bear against
,
to approach for attack or seizure;
as, a lion
bears against
his prey
.
[Obs.]
–
To bear away
(Naut.)
,
to change the course of a ship, and make her run before the wind.
–
To bear back
,
to retreat.
“Bearing back from the blows of their sable antagonist.”
Sir W. Scott.
–
To bear down upon
(Naut.)
,
to approach from the windward side;
as, the fleet
bore down upon
the enemy
.
–
To bear in with
(Naut.)
,
to run or tend toward;
as, a ship
bears in with
the land
.
–
To bear off
(Naut.)
,
to steer away, as from land.
–
To bear up
.
(a)
To be supported; to have fortitude; to be firm; not to sink;
as, to
bear up
under afflictions
.
(b)
(Naut.)
To put the helm up (or to windward) and so put the ship before the wind; to bear away.
Hamersly.
–
To bear upon
(Mil.)
,
to be pointed or situated so as to affect; to be pointed directly against, or so as to hit (the object);
as, to bring or plant guns so as to
bear upon
a fort or a ship; the artillery
bore upon
the center
.
–
To bear up to
,
to tend or move toward;
as, to
bear up to
one another
.
–
To bear with
,
to endure; to be indulgent to; to forbear to resent, oppose, or punish.

Bear

(bēr)
,
Noun.
A bier.
[Obs.]
Spenser.

Bear

(bâr)
,
Noun.
[OE.
bere
, AS.
bera
; akin to D.
beer
, OHG.
bero
,
pero
, G.
bär
, Icel. & Sw.
björn
, and possibly to L.
fera
wild beast, Gr.
φήρ
beast, Skr.
bhalla
bear.]
1.
(Zool.)
Any species of the genus
Ursus
, and of the closely allied genera. Bears are plantigrade
Carnivora
, but they live largely on fruit and insects.
The European brown bear (
Ursus arctos
), the white polar bear (
Ursus maritimus
), the grizzly bear (
Ursus horribilis
), the American black bear, and its variety the cinnamon bear (
Ursus Americanus
), the Syrian bear (
Ursus Syriacus
), and the sloth bear, are among the notable species.
2.
(Zool.)
An animal which has some resemblance to a bear in form or habits, but no real affinity;
as, the woolly
bear
; ant
bear
; water
bear
; sea
bear.
3.
(Astron.)
One of two constellations in the northern hemisphere, called respectively the
Great Bear
and the
Lesser Bear
, or
Ursa Major
and
Ursa Minor
.
4.
Metaphorically: A brutal, coarse, or morose person.
5.
(Stock Exchange)
A person who sells stocks or securities for future delivery in expectation of a fall in the market.
☞ The bears and bulls of the Stock Exchange, whose interest it is, the one to depress, and the other to raise, stocks, are said to be so called in allusion to the bear's habit of pulling down, and the bull's of tossing up.
6.
(Mach.)
A portable punching machine.
7.
(Naut.)
A block covered with coarse matting; – used to scour the deck.
Australian bear
.
(Zool.)
See
Koala
.
–
Bear baiting
,
the sport of baiting bears with dogs.
–
Bear caterpillar
(Zool.)
,
the hairy larva of a moth, esp. of the genus
Euprepia
.
–
Bear garden
.
(a)
A place where bears are kept for diversion or fighting.
(b)
Any place where riotous conduct is common or permitted.
M. Arnold.
–
Bear leader
,
one who leads about a performing bear for money; hence, a facetious term for one who takes charge of a young man on his travels.

Bear

,
Verb.
T.
(Stock Exchange)
To endeavor to depress the price of, or prices in;
as, to
bear
a railroad stock; to
bear
the market
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Bear

BEAR

,
Verb.
T.
pret.bore; pp. born,borne. [L. fero, pario, porto. The primary sense is to throw out, to bring forth, or in general, to thrust or drive along. ]
1.
To support; to sustain; as, to bear a weight or burden.
2.
To carry; to convey; to support and remove from place to place; as, 'they bear him upon the shoulder;', 'the eagle beareth them on her wings.'
3.
To wear; to bear as a mark of authority or distinction; as, to bear a sword, a badge, a name; to bear arms in a coat.
4.
To keep afloat; as, the water bears a ship.
5.
To support or sustain without sinking or yielding; to endure; as, a man can bear severe pain or calamity; or to sustain with proportionate strength, and without injury; as, a man may bear stronger food or drink.
6.
To entertain; to carry in the mind; as, to bear a great love for a friend; to bear inveterate hatred to gaming.
7.
To suffer; to undergo; as, to bear punishment.
8.
To suffer without resentment, or interference to prevent; to have patience; as, to bear neglect or indignities.
9.
To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain without violence,injury,or change; as, to give words the most favorable interpretation they will bear.
10. To bring forth or produce, as the fruit of plants, or the young of animals; as, to bear apples; to bear children.
11. To give birth to, or be the native place of.
Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore.
12. To possess and use as power; to exercise; as, to bear sway.
13. To gain or win.
Some think to bear it by speaking a great word. [Not now used. The phrase now used is, to bear away.]
14. To carry on, or maintain; to have; as, to bear a part in conversation.
15. To show or exhibit; to relate; as, to bear testimony or witness. This seems to imply utterance, like the Latin fero, to relate or utter.
16. To sustain the effect, or be answerable for; as, to bear the blame.
17. To sustain, as expense; to supply the means of paying; as, to bear the charges, that is, to pay the expenses.
18. To be the object of.
Let me but bear your love, and I'll bear your cares.
19. To behave; to act in any character; as,'hath he borne himself penitent?'
20. To remove, or to endure the effects of; and hence to give satisfaction for.
He shall bear their iniquities. Is. 53. Heb.9.
To bear the infirmities of the weak, to bear one another's burdens, is to be charitable towards their faults, to sympathize with them, and to aid them in distress.
To bear off, is to restrain; to keep from approach; and in seamanship, to remove to a distance; to keep clear from rubbing against any thing; as, to bear off a blow; to bear off a boat; also, to carry away; as, to bear off stolen goods.
To bear down, is to impel or urge; to overthrow or crush by force; as, to bear down an enemy.
To bear down upon, to press to overtake; to make all sail to come up with.
To bear hard, is to press or urge.
Cesar doth bear me hard.
To bear on, is to press against; also to carry forward, to press, incite or animate.
Confidence hath borne thee on.
To bear through, is to conduct or manage; as,'to bear through the consulship.' B.Jonson. Also, to maintain or support to the end; as, religion will bear us through the evils of life.
To bear out, is to maintain and support to the end; to defend to the last.
Company only can bear a man out in an ill thing.
To bear up, to support; to keep from falling.
Religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings.
To bear up, to keep afloat.
To bear a body. A color is said to bear a body in painting, when it is capable of being ground so fine, and mixed so entirely with the oil, as to seem only a very thick oil of the same color. To bear date, is to have the mark of time when written or executed; as, a letter or bond bears date, Jan.6,1811.
To bear a price,is to have a certain price. In common mercantile language,it often signifies or implies, to bear a good or high price.
To bear in hand, to amuse with false pretenses; to deceive.
I believe this phrase is obsolete, or never used in America.
To bear a hand, in seamanship, is to make haste, be quick.

Definition 2024

béar

béar

See also: bear, Bear, and bèar

Irish

Noun

béar m ‎(genitive singular béir, nominative plural béir)

  1. bear (animal)
  2. (finance) bear

Declension

Derived terms

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
béar bhéar mbéar
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

Etymology

Borrowing from English bear, from Middle English bere, from Old English bera, from Proto-Germanic *berô.

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