bear
1
[ bair ]
/ bɛər /
verb (used with object), bore or (Archaic) bare; borne or born; bear·ing.
verb (used without object), bore or (Archaic) bare; borne or born; bear·ing.
Verb Phrases
Idioms for bear
bring to bear,
to concentrate on with a specific purpose: Pressure was brought to bear on those with overdue accounts.
Origin of bear
1
before 900; Middle English
beren, Old English
beran; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German
beran, Dutch
baren, Old Frisian, Old Norse
bera, Gothic
bairan, German (
ge)bären, Russian
berët (he) takes, Albanian
bie, Tocharian
pär-, Phrygian
ab-beret (he) brings, Latin
ferre, Old Irish
berid (he) carries, Armenian
berem, Greek
phérein, Sanskrit
bhárati, Avestan
baraiti; < Indo-European
*bher- (see
-fer,
-phore)
synonym study for bear
10.
Bear,
stand,
endure refer to supporting the burden of something distressing, irksome, or painful.
Bear and
stand are close synonyms and have a general sense of withstanding:
to bear a disappointment well; to stand a loss.
Endure implies continued resistance and patience in bearing through a long time:
to endure torture.
usage note for bear
Since the latter part of the 18th century, a distinction has been made between
born and
borne as past participles of the verb
bear1 .
Borne is the past participle in all senses that do not refer to physical birth:
The wheatfields have borne abundantly this year. Judges have always borne a burden of responsibility.
Borne is also the participle when the sense is “to bring forth (young)” and the focus is on the mother rather than on the child. In such cases,
borne is preceded by a form of
have or followed by
by: Anna had borne a son the previous year. Two children borne by her earlier were already grown. When the focus is on the offspring or on something brought forth as if by birth,
born is the standard spelling, and it occurs only in passive constructions:
My friend was born in Ohio. No children have been born at the South Pole. A strange desire was born of the tragic experience.
Born is also an adjective meaning “by birth,” “innate,” or “native”:
born free; a born troublemaker; Mexican-born.
Words nearby bear
beanie,
beano,
beanpole,
beanshooter,
beanstalk,
bear,
bear a grudge,
bear animalcule,
bear claw,
bear down,
bear fruit
British Dictionary definitions for bring to bear (1 of 3)
Bear
/ (bɛə) /
noun the Bear
the English name for Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
an informal name for Russia
British Dictionary definitions for bring to bear (2 of 3)
bear
1
/ (bɛə) /
verb bears, bearing, bore or borne (mainly tr)
Word Origin for bear
Old English
beran; related to Old Norse
bera, Old High German
beran to carry, Latin
ferre, Greek
pherein to bear, Sanskrit
bharati he carries
British Dictionary definitions for bring to bear (3 of 3)
bear
2
/ (bɛə) /
noun plural bears or bear
any plantigrade mammal of the family Ursidae : order Carnivora (carnivores). Bears are typically massive omnivorous animals with a large head, a long shaggy coat, and strong claws
See also black bear, brown bear, polar bear Related adjective: ursine
any of various bearlike animals, such as the koala and the ant bear
a clumsy, churlish, or ill-mannered person
a teddy bear
stock exchange
- a speculator who sells in anticipation of falling prices to make a profit on repurchase
- (as modifier)a bear market Compare bull 1 (def. 5)
verb bears, bearing or beared
(tr)
to lower or attempt to lower the price or prices of (a stock market or a security) by speculative selling
Word Origin for bear
Old English
bera; related to Old Norse
bjorn, Old High German
bero
Idioms and Phrases with bring to bear (1 of 2)
bring to bear
Exert, apply, as in All his efforts are brought to bear on the new problem, or The union is bringing pressure to bear on management. [Late 1600s]
Idioms and Phrases with bring to bear (2 of 2)
bear