bearn.¹

Brit.

/bɛː/, U.S.

/bɛ(ə)r/

Forms: Old English bera, Old English (rare and late) Middle English–1500s bere, Middle English beeyr, Middle English beor (south-west midlands and south-western), Middle English beore (west midlands), Middle English ber- (in compounds), Middle English boere (south-west midlands), Middle English bore (south-west midlands), Middle English buere (south-west midlands), Middle English–1500s beer, Middle English–1500s beyr, Middle English–1600s beare, Middle English–1600s beere, 1500s beir, 1500s– bear, 1600s bare; English regional (in sense 6a) 1800s bair (Lancashire), 1800s beer (Westmorland), 1800s beyer (Lancashire); also Scottish pre-1700 beir, pre-1700 ber, pre-1700 bere. N.E.D. (1887) also records a form late Middle English barre.

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with West Frisian bear , Middle Dutch bēre , beere , bāre (Dutch beer ), Old Saxon -bero (only in personal names; Middle Low German bēre , bāre ), Old High German bero , pero (Middle High German ber , German Bär ), early Scandinavian (runic: Sweden) Biari (only as a personal name), Old Icelandic ber- (in e.g. berfjall bearskin, berserkr berserk n.; compare also bera she-bear), and probably Gothic baira (in bairabagms mulberry tree, hence literally ‘bear-tree’: see note) < a Germanic base of uncertain and disputed origin, perhaps < the same Indo-European base as (with lengthened grade) Lithuanian bėras (of a horse) bay, ultimately showing an ablaut variant (e -grade) of the (suffixed) Indo-European base of brown adj., thus originally meaning literally ‘the brown one’ (compare bruin n.), or perhaps < the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek θήρ wild beast (see thero- comb. form), although some have objected to this on phonological grounds. The word probably arose through taboo avoidance (reflecting the danger posed by the animal); for the probable original Indo-European word for ‘bear’ compare the forms cited at Arctic adj. and n.The usual Scandinavian word (compare Old Icelandic bjǫrn (Icelandic björn ), Old Swedish biorn (Swedish björn ), Old Danish biorn (Danish bjørn )) reflects a (u -stem) derivative from an oblique case (accusative) of the same Germanic base; compare berne n. and discussion at that entry. With Gothic bairabagms compare Norwegian bjørnebær , Swedish björnbär (1638), both in the sense ‘blackberry’ (the fruit of the mulberry and the blackberry is very similar in appearance; both are eaten by bears); compare (with similar semantic motivation) bearberry n. The first element of the Gothic word is sometimes taken to be a folk-etymological alteration of a form from the same Germanic base as barse n. and birse n. (with original meaning ‘point, spike’), probably with reference to the elongated fruit of the mulberry. Specific forms. The Middle English (chiefly south-west midland) forms beor, beore, boere, bore, buere reflect an (unattested) Old English (Mercian) form with back mutation (*beora ). The Old English weak genitive singular (beran ) became by regular phonetic change in Middle English identical with the nominative (bere ); some early compounds that appear to be attributive may in fact reflect genitive compounds with unmarked first element (compare discussion at bearskin n.). Specific senses. In sense 3e short for Smokey Bear n. 2. In sense 4 after classical Latin ursa bear, she-bear, in Ursa Maior (see Ursa Major at Ursa n. 2; compare Great Bear n.) and Ursa Minor (see Ursa Minor n. at Ursa n. 3; compare Little Bear n.). With sense 5 compare the frequent depiction of Russia as a bear in British political cartoons from the 1730s onwards. The association originates in the perception of Russia as a wild country populated by bears (compare e.g. the bear supporters of the 16th-cent. coat of arms of the Muscovy Company). In use relating to speculation on the stock market (see branch II.) after bearskin n. (see discussion at that entry); with use with reference to stock (see sense 10) compare bearskin n. 3, and with use with reference to speculators (see sense 11) compare bearskin man at bearskin n. Compounds b. This use of bear arises in the early 18th cent., and was common at the time of the South Sea Bubble (when this type of speculation became notorious). The associated bull (see bull n.¹ III.) is first attested very slightly later and was perhaps suggested by bear.

I. The animal, and related uses.

a. Any of the large, heavily built mammals constituting the family Ursidae, the members of which typically have small rounded ears, a long snout, thick shaggy fur, stocky legs and a plantigrade gait.Bears belong to the order Carnivora but most are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, plants, and insects as well as flesh.black bear, grizzly bear, polar bear, sloth bear, etc.: see the first element.

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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Ursidae (bear) > [noun]

bearOE

urse1600

Arctoid1869

ursid1973

OE Maxims II 29 Bera sceal on hæðe, eald and egesfull.

OE Ælfric Let. to Sigeweard (De Veteri et Novo Test.) (Laud) 35 He gewylde þone wildan beran & his ceaflas totær.., & þa wildan leo he gewylde eal swa.

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 211 For is ech man efned to þe deore þe he nimeð after geres..sum bere, sum leun.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. cxii. 1261 Þe bere eteþ alle þynges... He can wonderliche stye vpon trees.

?1553 (c1501) G. Douglas Palice of Honour (London) iii. l. 1530 in Shorter Poems (1967) 96 Dauid I saw sla baith lyon and beir.

1624 J. Smith Gen. Hist. Virginia ii. 24 Their attire is the skinnes of Beares.

1733 A. Pope 1st Satire 2nd Bk. Horace Imitated 13 Tis a Bear's Talent not to kick, but hug.

1834 D. Crockett Narr. Life xiv. 180 The old gentleman was much pleased to hear I was hunting in those parts, for the year before the bears had killed a great many of his hogs.

1909 Chatterbox 219 The bear makes nothing of climbing; he is a good swimmer, and a quick runner too.

1993 Mammalian Species No. 439 4/1 All living and fossil bears of the genus Ursus descended from U. minimus, a small forest-dwelling bear of the Pliocene.

2001 Canad. Geographic Mar. 38/2 Nearby, scratch trees provide signposts where countless generations of bears have also left their mark.

b. Chiefly with distinguishing word. Any of various other animals thought to resemble a bear in some way.cat-bear, skunk bear, woolly bear, etc.: see the first element.

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1555 R. Eden tr. G. F. de Oviedo y Valdés Summarie Gen. Hist. West Indies in tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde f. 189 Where by thinstinct of nature these antes separate them selues to engender far from the wooddes for feare of these beares.

1743 London Mag. June 302/1 By th' river's side the otter doth intrench, But the quick-scented dogs, led by the stench, Do soon unkennel this fresh-water bear, And the poor wretch at last in pieces tear.

1864 Proc. Zool. Soc. London 706 Dendropoda, or Cat-footed Bears... These animals climb trees, and defend themselves with all their four feet, lying on their backs.

1955 F. Lane Patrol to Kimberleys 214 The name ‘koala’ means: ‘nothing to drink’. These little bears drink nothing.

c. The flesh of a bear used as food.

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the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > game > [noun] > flesh of bear

bear-meat?c1225

bear1682

1682 M. Rowlandson Soveraignty & Goodness of God (ed. 2) xiii. 25 A Squaw..gave me a piece of Bear. Another..gave me a quart of Pease: I boyled my Pease and Bear together.

1851 United Service Mag. Jan. 119 ‘Never eat bear, I s'ppose, Major?’ said Hawkeye... ‘It's good,..good as deer.’

1903 Methodist Mag. & Rev. Oct. 336/2 Bear tastes like pork, and beaver is akin to beef.

2012 J. Deutsch & N. Murakhver They eat That? 16/1 It is important not to eat bear rare since trichinosis is a very real danger.

d. A stuffed toy bear; = teddy bear n. 1a.

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society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > soft toy > [noun] > specific

baa-lamb1599

bear1905

teddy bear1906

teddy1907

shmoo1948

1905 M. Moore Let. 2 Nov. in Sel. Lett. (1997) 14 A great many of the girls have Atlantic City plush bears.

1928 A. A. Milne House at Pooh Corner x. 178 In that enchanted place on the top of the Forest a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.

2007 Collect it! Jan. 54/3 Li'l LuvablesTM are cute and cuddly and come complete with a fun hand-cranking factory to stuff your bears, bear skins..and fluffing.

†2. figurative. Obsolete. A personification of sloth or gluttony.

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c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 105 Þe Beore of heui slawðe [?c1225 Cleo. beore on his slauðe] haueð þeose hwelpes.

c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 58 Þe bere of glotonie romist a bout..for to fille þe wombe.

a. An unrefined or uncouth person. Now somewhat rare.

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the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > [noun] > unmannerliness > unrefined manners or behaviour > person

bearc1395

carter1509

kensy?a1513

clumpertonc1534

club1542

lout1548

clinchpoop1555

clout-shoe1563

loose-breech1575

clown1583

hoyden1593

boor1598

kill-courtesy1600

rustic1600

clunch1602

loblolly1604

camel1609

clusterfist1611

loon1619

Grobian1621

rough diamonda1625

hoyde1636

clodhopper1699

roughhead1726

indelicate1741

vulgarian1809

snob1838

vulgarist1847

yahoo1861

cave-dweller1865

polisson1866

mucker1884

caveman1907

wampus1912

yobbo1922

yenta1923

yob1927

rude1946

cafone1949

no-neck1961

ocker1971

c1395 Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal 1 C.viii) (1850) Isa. Prol. 226 Men ben clepid beeris, for gredynesse ether glotonye, and mulis, for letcherie.

1696 T. Dilke Lover's Luck v. 37 I wou'd not have her blow'd upon by the breath of such a Bear, and I am so passionate, that I protest I dare scarce trust my self with repairing my own Injuries.

1751 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 30 June (1932) (modernized text) IV. 1763 The French people of learning..are not bears, as most of ours are.

1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 51 This great soldier..was no better than a Low Dutch bear.

2009 ‘A. Herries’ Country Miss in Hanover Square (2011) 157 You must think me a brute and a bear.

†b. Oxford University slang. A student. Obsolete. Cf. bear-leader n. 2.

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society > education > learning > learner > college or university student > [noun] > types at specific universities

son?c1550

Bibler1569

round cap1572

batteler1604

fellow commoner1614

gentleman-commoner1614

primar1642

Bible-clerk1650

Harry-Sopha1661

hodman1677

nobleman1682

seconder1684

grueller1691

ternar1698

tuft1755

red gowna1774

ten-year-man1816

prick-bill1818

bear1828

martinet1831

sheep1865

trotter1883

skiver1884

hall-reader1886

sign-off1902

night climber1937

techie1969

1828 R. Thomson Tales Antiquary II. iv. 247 When I was the youthful Bear—as the disciple of a Private Tutor is called at Oxford.

c. colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S.). A person who is difficult or unpleasant to deal with, spec. a grouchy, bad-tempered person.

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the world > action or operation > difficulty > [noun] > that which is difficult > a difficult thing or person

sluta1475

nut1540

Tartar1669

bitch1699

handful1755

tickler1825

pebble1829

hard ticket1847

tough nut1862

bear1876

Roger1885

trier1893

peb1903

heller1923

pawful1925

honey1932

sod1936

toughie1945

motherfucker1948

hard-arse1966

the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > ill humour > [noun] > ill-humoured person

moroso1592

melancholian1681

splenetic1703

bear1876

1876 New Eng. Jrnl. Educ. 26 Aug. 74/3 A Christian bear of a schoolmaster, or a pious virago of a mistress, who alternately prays for and thrashes this little community, does not form the American ideal of a religion in the school.

1882 Forest & Stream 16 Feb. 50/2 I am such a ‘bear’, that I wouldn't wish one to enjoy his day's ‘outing’ to the full.

1998 alt.med.fibromyalgia 11 May (Usenet newsgroup, accessed 1 Aug. 2019) She sleeps poorly and is a real bear in the mornings.

2012 J. L. Cannon Twang v. 110 I remind myself she's a bear to live with every February because..she's chompin' at the bit for the weather to warm up so she can get outside.

(a) A person, esp. a man, who resembles a bear in appearance, esp. in being physically imposing or lumbering.

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1879 H. P. Smith in Q. Elocutionist Oct. 278 Here I am, a great bear of a man (or a great bear of a bachelor, as Jane often says), shut up within these four walls.

1976 Illustr. Weekly India 8 Feb. 35/2 While a dull husband might conceivably drive a high-spirited young wife straight into the arms of a muscular bear, can anyone with the slightest knowledge of British India see the Raj swallowing such outrageous goings-on?

2006 E. Winthrop Counting on Grace viii. 58 He's strong enough to crunch my bones in two if he had a mind. But I think he's trying to be nice. He's just a big clumsy bear of a man.

(b) slang. Among gay men: a man with a large or solid build, a hairy body, and (typically) facial hair, esp. a beard.Bears are one of a number of identities or subcultures that emerged on the gay scene in the later 20th cent. (cf. e.g. clone n. 3, twink n.³, leather n. Additions). Cf. Compounds 1a(d).

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1979 Advocate 26 July 42/3 Bears are usually hunky, chunky types reminiscent of railroad engineers and former football greats.

1989 news.lists 22 July (Usenet newsgroup) Mail.bears is a mailing list for gay and bisexual males who are bears themselves and for those who enjoy the company of bears.

2004 Washington Post (Electronic ed.) 13 Mar. c1 Five or 10 years ago, when news photographers covered gay rights gatherings, they went for the drag queens, the leather bears, the lesbians with multiple tattoos.

e. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). A police officer, spec. a highway patrol officer; = Smokey Bear n. 2. Cf. to feed the bears at feed v. 1f.Chiefly used in CB radio communications and by truckers.

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society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > policeman

truncheon officer1708

runner1735

horny1753

nibbing-cull1775

nabbing-cull1780

police officer1784

police constable1787

policeman1788

scout1789

nabman1792

nabber1795

pig1811

Bow-street officer1812

nab1813

peeler1816

split1819

grunter1823

robin redbreast1824

bulky1828

raw (or unboiled) lobster1829

Johnny Darm1830

polis1833

crusher1835

constable1839

police1839

agent1841

johndarm1843

blue boy1844

bobby1844

bluebottle1845

copper1846

blue1848

polisman1850

blue coat1851

Johnny1851

PC1851

spot1851

Jack1854

truncheonist1854

fly1857

greycoat1857

cop1859

Cossack1859

slop1859

scuffer1860

nailerc1863

worm1864

Robert1870

reeler1879

minion of the law1882

ginger pop1887

rozzer1888

nark1890

bull1893

grasshopper1893

truncheon-bearer1896

John1898

finger1899

flatty1899

mug1903

John Dunn1904

John Hop1905

gendarme1906

Johnny Hop1908

pavement pounder1908

buttons1911

flat-foot1913

pounder1919

Hop1923

bogy1925

shamus1925

heat1928

fuzz1929

law1929

narker1932

roach1932

jonnop1938

grass1939

roller1940

Babylon1943

walloper1945

cozzer1950

Old Bill1958

cowboy1959

monaych1961

cozzpot1962

policeperson1965

woolly1965

Fed1966

wolly1970

plod1971

roz1971

Smokey Bear1974

bear1975

beast1978

woodentop1981

Five-O1983

dibble1990

Bow-street runner-

1975 Atlantic Monthly May 42/1 There's a four-wheeler coming up fast behind me, might be a Bear wants to give us some green stamps.

1976 CB Mag. June 40/3 ‘The bear's pulling somebody off there at 74,’ reported someone else.

2014 J. Otersen Little Truckers 79 These bears can radio to another smokey bear, and then they'll be setting bear traps everywhere.

4. (The English names of) either of two northern circumpolar constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Usually with distinguishing word (see Great Bear n. and Little Bear n.; formerly more fully more bear and less bear).Cf. Greater Bear at greater adj. 4b, Lesser Bear at lesser adj. 3b. ‘The Bear’ (without a modifier) refers to Ursa Major.

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the world > the universe > constellation > Northern constellations > [noun] > Ursa Major

Ursac888

Arcturusc1374

beara1398

Ursa Major1398

ploughc1425

Septentrionc1425

seven starsc1425

Great Bear1555

plough star1558

Helice1596

polar bear1648

dipper1842

Big Dipper1856

the world > the universe > constellation > Northern constellations > [noun] > Ursa Minor

beara1398

Septentrionc1425

horn1513

Little Bear1555

cynosure1596

Ursa Minor1728

dog's tail1851

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. viii. xxiii. 503 Alwey þilke sterres windiþ and turneþ rounde aboute þat lyne þat hatte axis as a bere aboute þe stake, and þerfore þat cercle is iclepid ‘þe more bere’.

?c1400 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (BL Add. 10340) (1868) iv. met. vi. l. 4124 Ne þe sterre yclepid the bere, þat encliniþ hys rauyssynge courses abouten þe souereyne heyȝt of þe worlde, ne þe same sterre vrsa nis neuer mo wasshen in þe depe westerne see.

1556 R. Record Castle of Knowl. 263 Aboute these 2 Beares is there a long trace of 31 starres, commonly called the Dragon.

1645 J. Milton Il Penseroso in Poems 40 Where I may oft out-watch the Bear.

a1708 T. Ward England's Reformation (1710) ii. 172 As Lion, Scorpion, Bear, and Bull, And other things less dangerful.

1814 J. Austen Mansfield Park I. xi. 236 ‘There's Arcturus looking very bright.’ ‘Yes, and the bear. I wish I could see Cassiopeia.’

1997 T. Pynchon Mason & Dixon 653 The school-Masters calls it Ursa Major. The bigger of two bears, and that's the Little one, there.

2017 US Official News (Nexis) 11 July The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, with its North Star, will be visible, each forming the tails, respectively, of the two bears, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

a. With the. Russia, or (more widely) its former empire or the former Soviet Union.Used to refer to different geographic regions depending on the period being discussed.For the semantic motivation of this sense, see note in etymology.

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the world > the earth > named regions of earth > Russia, the Russian Empire, or the Soviet Union > [noun]

bear1794

Russian Federation1886

Soviet Union1918

Bolshevisia1919

Bolshevy1921

U.S.S.R.1927

narod1938

red land1942

Sov1967

1794 R. Brothers Revealed Knowl. Prophecies Times II. 17 His Dominions..will be enlarged..by the addition of Three Electorates, when the Bear, (meaning Russia) watching for the opportunity, will Rise and Devour Prussia at one side, while the Emperor destroys him at the other.

1831 Metropolitan May 218 France turns from her abandon'd friends afresh, And soothes the Bear that prowls for patriot flesh.

1853 Punch 24 222 We recommend the Bear to hug himself as comfortably as he likes, in his own security, but we would advise him to keep his paws off from Turkey.

1939 W. S. Churchill Into Battle (1941) 145 The left paw of the Bear bars Germany from the Black Sea.

1967 Observer 15 Jan. 32/8 When he allowed himself to be flown back to Moscow..he was consciously putting his head in the Bear's mouth.

2014 Daily Tel. 19 Dec. 23/2 Russia's actions were legitimate. Sanctions were wrong. The West wanted to ‘chain and defang’ the bear, but would never be able to do so.

b. A native or inhabitant of Russia, or (more widely) of its former empire or the former Soviet Union.

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the world > people > nations > native or inhabitant of Asia > native or inhabitant of Russia, the Russian Empire, or the Soviet Union > [noun]

Muscovite1535

Russ1537

Russian1538

Muscovian1577

Muscoviter1650

White Russian1659

Great Russian1783

bear1804

Rooshian1838

Soviet1920

Ivan1925

1794 W. B. Stevens Jrnl. 15 Dec. (1965) ii. 214 Those Russian Bears after having devoured the Unhappy Poles are..to direct their fell tusks against France.]

1804 M. Wilmot Let. 24 July in M. Wilmot & C. Wilmot Russ. Jrnls. (1934) i. 147 Take the two Nations..and trust me the Bears would triumph.

1989 R. Atkinson Long Gray Line vii. 189 A hundred and fifty Bears at twenty thousand feet? Not likely. That was World War II stuff, the kind of raid launched to firebomb Dresden.

2017 L. Dickey Bears in Streets vii. 175 What if the bears suddenly came to Canada, and started handing out money, paying people there to fight against America?

†6.

a. English regional (north-western and north-west midlands). A doormat. Also as the second element of a compound, as in rope bear. Obsolete.

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the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > cleaning shoes > [noun] > mats and scrapers

doormat1665

scraper1745

mud-scraper1788

bear1795

foot scraper1796

mata1818

shoe-scraper1842

scraper-mat1884

1795 J. Aikin Descr. Country round Manch. 349 The making (by blindfolk) of..white and tarred bears, foot-cloths, etc.

1805 D. Johnston Serm. for Blind 20 Rope-bears for cleaning the feet at our doors.

1884 R. Holland Gloss. Words County of Chester (1886) Bear, a door mat.

b. U.S. Nautical. A heavy block covered with abrasive material or a rough mat filled with sand used to scrub the deck of a vessel. Obsolete.

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1889 Cent. Dict. Bear,..8. a square block of wood weighted with iron, or a rough mat filled with sand, dragged to and fro on a ship's decks.

1925 H. P. Bailey Shanghaied out of 'Frisco in 'Nineties ii. 22 Ben's and my first task at sea comprised helping two other men in ‘pulling the monkey's tail’ or, as it is sometimes termed, ‘pulling the bear’. The interesting process consists in four disinterested men dragging about the main deck a cumbersome wooden box heavily laden, to whose bottom a layer of glass or sand-paper is fixed. By this process the decks are kept scrupulously clean.

7. A portable device for punching holes in sheet metal. Obsolete.

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society > occupation and work > equipment > piercing or boring tools > [noun] > punches

pointrel1476

punch1505

punk1670

puncher1681

dog-tooth1736

pommel1793

keypunch1850

bear1853

bell-punch1877

summary punch1934

1853 T. G. Quesada Gloss. Terms Marine Engines & Boilers 29 (table) in Tredgold's Princ. & Pract. Steam Engine (rev. ed.) III Perro, a bear, for punching holes.

1869 E. J. Reed Shipbuilding xx. 446 The holes which come in the plate-edges are usually punched by a bear.

1908 J. G. Horner Henley's Encycl. Pract. Engin. VII. 158/2 The bear is operated thus.

8. Founding. A solid metallic mass formed within a blast furnace; esp. that formed by molten metal seeping below the hearth level and solidifying after the furnace is extinguished.Also called horse, salamander, or sow.

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society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > engine of war > [noun] > movable shed

sow1297

mantel1357

snail1408

vinet1408

whelk1408

circlec1440

barbed-cat1489

mantle1489

mantlet1524

vine1565

tortoise1569

sow-guard1582

penthouse1600

penticle1600

target-roof1601

vinea1601

fence-roof1609

testudo1609

cat-house1614

vineyard1650

tortoiseshell1726

manta1829

cat1833

ram-house1850

tortoise-roof1855

bear1865

1865 H. Watts Dict. Chem. III. 368 Many samples of the so-called ‘bears’ (Eisen-sauen) or metallic masses found in the hearths of blast furnaces in which copper is smelted, as at Mansfield.., likewise consist of iron alloyed chiefly with molybdenum.

1918 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. 97 178 A considerable mass of decarburised iron was found in a bear at the Cleveland Ironworks.

2001 D. B. Wagner State & Iron Industry Han China vi. 68 The bear which we have here, however, has an unusual shape, apparently the result of a failure in furnace operation.

9. Originally and chiefly U.S. Something notable or exceptional, esp. (in later use) something particularly arduous or challenging. Frequently in (to be) a bear of a ——.

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1911 Call (San Francisco) 30 Dec. (Sports section) 21/2 In the curtain raiser Bill Sloane stopped Sam Brant in four rounds, the towel being tossed into the center. It was a bear of a fight while it lasted.

1926 W. Rogers Autobiogr. (1949) xi. 123 You unconsciously paid me a Bear of a Compliment.

1958 ‘P. O'Connor’ Black Tiger at Le Mans (1959) v. 35 But be careful. This track is a bear.

1984 M. Skinner Red Flag vi. 97 It's going to be a real bear to do your job and keep alive.

1989 New Yorker 8 May 48/3 Why don't you tell those two about that game? That sounded like a bear.

2002 N.Y. Times 15 Dec. This is a bear of a job. It's not for everyone.

II. Senses relating to speculation on the stock market. Cf. bull n.¹ III.

10. Stock Market. Stock contracted to be sold at a set price at a future date, in the seller's expectation that market prices will have fallen by then. Now rare.The trader may or may not already own the contracted stock; see sense 11.

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society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > stocks, shares, or bonds > [noun] > stock > bought, sold, or dealt on particular terms

bear1709

bull1714

bearskin1719

trust stock1733

preference stock1845

preferred stock1848

trustee stock1855

short1868

privileged stock1875

future1880

junior stock1914

curb-stocks1915

long1930

junk bond1974

1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 38 Being at that General Mart of Stock-Jobbers called Jonathans..he bought the Bear of another Officer.

1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 38 I fear the Word Bear is hardly to be understood among the polite People; but I take the meaning to be, That one who ensures a Real Value upon an Imaginary Thing, is said to sell a Bear.

1714 C. Johnson Country Lasses i. i Instead of changing honest staple for Gold and Silver, you deal in Bears and Bulls.

1939 Financial Times 5 July (City ed.) 1/7 Government borrowing must assuredly come on a large scale, sooner or later. Therefore, let us sell bears (protected or unprotected) of War Loan.

11. Stock Market. A trader who expects prices to fall and so sells stock, which he or she may buy back later at a lower price. Also: a trader who sells stock he or she does not hold, hoping to be able to buy it cheaply before delivery is due. Cf. earlier bearskin man at bearskin n. Compounds b.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > [noun] > dealer in stocks and shares > type of

profit taker1552

bull1714

bear1718

fund-monger1734

lame duck1806

stag1845

taker-in1852

cornerer1869

wrecker1876

corner-man1881

market-rigger1881

boursocrat1882

offeror1882

ribbon clerk1882

inflater1884

manipulator1888

underwriter1889

kangaroo1896

piker1898

share pusher1898

specialist1900

tailer1900

writer1906

placee1953

corporate raider1955

tippee1961

raider1972

bottom fisher1974

white knight1978

greenmailer1984

1718 S. Centlivre Bold Stroke for Wife iv. i. 36 Are you a Bull or a Bear to day, Abraham? 3d. Stock[broker]. A Bull, faith,—but I have a good Putt for next Week.

1762 Gentleman's Mag. Jan. 18/2 In contracts for time, he who contracts to sell is called the bear.

1881 Chicago Times 30 Apr. The bears made a strong fight against an advance.

2002 Shares 3 Oct. 26/3 It is like a race, at 10.10 am all the bulls start buying stocks and all the bears start selling.

Phrases

P1. In proverbs and proverbial phrases, often with reference to bear-baiting and bear dancing.

ΚΠ

a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) iv. l. 1453 For þus men seyn þat oon þenkeþ þe bere But al a noþer þenketh h[i]s ledere.

a1500 (?a1410) J. Lydgate Churl & Bird (Lansd.) l. 132 in Minor Poems (1934) ii. 474 Som man..hath no fredam..To gon at large, but as a bere at stake To passe his boundis.

1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. ix. sig. Cii With as good will as a beare goth to the stake.

1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. v. sig. H As handsomly as a beare picketh muscles.

1589 Pappe with Hatchet (1844) 16 Swarmd..like beares to a honie pot.

1602 W. Fulbecke Parallele or Conf. Law i. 28 A man should deuide honie with a Beare.

1671 A. Behn Forc'd Marriage iii. ii. 45 What new Masquerade's this? by Iove, Alcander Has more tricks then a dancing Bear.

1821 D. Carey Legend Argyle III. xiii. 171 I must also recollect that Kings and bears often worry their own keepers.

2009 Sunday Times (Nexis) 17 May (Sports section) 9 What might have been a turn-off to most attracted MacAnthony like a bear to a honey pot.

P2. to play the bear: to do mischief; to cause severe harm, damage, or disruption; to wreak havoc, ruin (now rare). Also: †to behave uncivilly and roughly (obsolete). Chiefly with with, †among. Cf. devil n. Phrases 4a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > behave badly [verb (intransitive)] > behave in ill-mannered or unrefined way

to play the bear1579

lob1596

clown1600

vulgarize1605

swab1638

hoyden1709

lout1807

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > cause or effect (harm) [verb (transitive)] > do harm or injury to > cause great harm to

to play hell (with)1750

to make havoc1812

to play Old Harry with1837

to play the bear1854

to play hell and Tommy1859

to play buggery1898

to play havoc1910

1579 L. Tomson tr. J. Calvin Serm. Epist. S. Paule to Timothie & Titus 473/1 When we haue so turned all order vpsidowne..there is nothing but..playing the beare amongst vs.

1584 Copie of Let. conc. Erle of Leycester 198 This man, yf he once perceyue indeed, that they feare him, wil handle them accordingly and playe the Beare indeed.

1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northants. Words I. 38 A market-gardener says, ‘A wet Saturday plays the bear with us’; i.e. keeps our customers away, and injures our goods.

1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms II. ii. 26 Chaps that have got something on their minds can't stand idleness, it plays the bear with them.

1891 J. M. Dixon Dict. Idiomatic Eng. Phrases (at cited word) The last storm has played the bear with my crops.

1931 Derby Daily Tel. 5 Jan. (Late Final ed.) 4/5 Fog during the week-end has played the bear with road traffic.

†P3. are you there with your bears?: an expression of exasperation or surprise, esp. at a person's persistence with a topic or notion; ‘are you at it again?’. Obsolete. [Explained in Joe Miller's Jests (1739) 28 as originally the exclamation of a man who, not liking a sermon he had heard on Elisha and the bears (2 Kings 2:23–4), went next Sunday to another church, only to find the same preacher and the same discourse.]

ΚΠ

1594 J. Lyly Mother Bombie ii. iii. sig. D1^v Cand. I loue thee much, giue mee one worde of comfort. Sil. I faith sir no, and so tell your master. Cand. I haue no master, but come to make choise of a mistres. Sil. Aha, are you there with your beares.

1741 S. Richardson Pamela III. xxxiii. 335 O ho, Nephew! are you thereabouts with your Bears?

1820 W. Scott Abbot I. xv. 323 ‘Marry come up—are you there with your bears?’ muttered the Dragon.

†P4. to take a bear by the tooth: to put oneself in danger; to act in a foolhardy manner. Chiefly in comparisons to express how objectionable or unwise a proposal is. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1601 A. Dent Plaine Mans Path-way to Heauen 70 If any man notwithstanding all this, will venture vpon it [sc. Adultery], hee may be saide to be a most desperate monster: for what doth hee else but as it were..take the Beare by the tooth.

1603 A. Dent Ruine of Rome i. 23 If they continue bold and busie this way, they may hap at last take a beare by the tooth, and peraduenture pull an olde house vpon their heads.

1638 R. Younge Drunkard's Char. 52 For whether he laughs, or chafes, he is a like apt to quarrell; or let but a friend admonish him, hee were as good take a Beare by the tooth.

1779 Considerations upon French & Amer. War 37 We shall as soon take a bear by the tooth as infringe an iota of that treaty.

P5. to carry (also give, take, etc.) guts (also † garbage, † offal) to a bear: to do a menial or repugnant task. Chiefly in negative as to not be fit to carry guts (also † garbage, † offal), to a bear and variants: to be regarded as so lowly, contemptible, or foolish as to be unworthy or incapable of even the most menial or repugnant task. Now U.S. colloquial.

ΚΠ

1639 J. Taylor Iuniper Lect. vii. 49 Thou art a very sloven, and a nasty beast to him, and art not worthy to carry guts to a Beare.

1787 ‘P. Pindar’ Lousiad: Canto II 28 in Lousiad: Canto I (ed. 4) George thinks us scarcely fit ('tis very clear) To carry guts, my brethren, to a bear.

1876 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 2 Feb. 3/7 He was not sufficiently man enough to carry offal to a bear.

1891 New Eng. Mag. May 393/1 ‘If you do not hand Mrs. Atkinson to the chamber stairs,’ said the doctor, in an angry guttural, ‘your Excellency ain't fit to carry garbage to a bear.’

1967 in Dict. Amer. Regional Eng. (1985) I. 550/2 Sayings about a person who seems to you very stupid: ‘He hasn't sense enough to ——.’ Carry guts to a bear.

2013 @joshowens24 22 Mar. in twitter.com (accessed 25 July 2019) George Bush was not fit to throw guts to a bear, much less to run a country. #HUBRIS.

P6. like a bear with a sore head and variants: used of a person who is very irritable, sullen, or bad-tempered. Frequently in comparisons, as in as cross as a bear with a sore head and hence similarly as cross as a bear.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > ill humour > [adjective] > in an ill humour

maltalenta1578

in a jeer1579

in suds1611

sullen-sick1614

in the pouts1615

out of sorts1621

cross1639

off the hooks1662

huff1714

sulkinga1777

as cross as a bear1838

sore-headed1844

sore-head1862

baity1921

the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > ill humour > be ill-humoured [phrase]

to sit on brood or a-brood1600

as cross as a bear with a sore head1901

1785 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue at Grumble He grumbled like a bear with a sore ear.

1830 F. Marryat King's Own II. vi. 93 As savage as a bear with a sore head.

1838 Token & Atlantic Souvenir 100 I feel cross as a bear after playing the fool all day, and reason enough I have for it.

1901 Lady's Realm Nov. 476/1 He's as cross as a bear with a sore head if he's kept waiting a minute.

1908 Manch. Courier 28 Oct. 9/6 You may start to ‘loaf’ among the shops as sulky as a bear, but something will happen to smooth you out.

1995 Toronto Star (Nexis) 27 Apr. (Metro ed.) c3 He was like a bear with a sore paw, just brutal to be around.

2018 Daily Star Online (Nexis) 5 Dec. She stomped around like a bear with a sore head until I promised to spend most of the festive season in her arms.

P7. to poke the bear and variants: to deliberately provoke or antagonize a person or group, esp. one that is dangerous or powerful.rare before late 20th cent.

ΚΠ

1840 Morning Post 24 Feb. Boswell, by way of ‘poking the bear’ perhaps, asked whether the poetry of Gray (a man of that time) did not ‘tower above the common mark?’

1998 St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press (Nexis) 14 Aug. (Sports section) 1 Deputy commissioner Russ Granik greeted the news with basically a ‘Ha ha! We win that one!’ Which violates rule No. 1 of labor negotiations: Never poke the bear with a stick.

2014 V. Laurie Ghoul Next Door 228 Kendra was obviously interested in poking the bear, because most of her questions were meant to bait Foster into admitting he'd killed Bethany.

P8. colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S.). to be a bear: to be someone who is exceptionally gifted, adept, persistent, or remarkable; spec. (frequently with for) to be someone who is devoted to or intent upon a given pursuit or activity.

ΚΠ

1908 H. C. Fisher in San Francisco Examiner 3 Dec. 11 (comic strip) I'm a bear at this stuff.

1913 Sat. Evening Post 31 May 12 I'll bet he's a bear among the women.

1930 W. R. Burnett Iron Man iv. iii. 129 She's a bear for looks... I wish I had a wife like that.

1948 I. Wolfert Act of Love lv. 514 He's a bear on running the ball.

1980 N.Y. Daily News 18 Dec. 41 Even his severest critics agree that Haig has an excellent mind, is a bear for work and is a disciplined and organized leader of men.

2001 Los Angeles Times (Electronic ed.) 7 Sept. With an encyclopedic knowledge of band trivia and minutiae.., Chris is such a bear for authenticity in dress and presentation that he tends to drive his bandmates a little crazy.

P9. a bear of (very) little brain: a person of little intelligence (often used self-deprecatingly).With reference to A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh (see quot. 1926).

ΚΠ

1926 A. A. Milne Winnie-the-Pooh iv. 48 ‘What does Crustimoney Proseedcake mean?’ said Pooh. ‘For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother me.’]

1935 Church Q. Rev. July 348 If anyone comes to this introduction hoping to have his mind made up (for some of us are, like Winnie the Pooh, bears of very little brain and like to be told what to think) disappointment awaits him.

1960 4th Rep. Select Comm. Estimates 212/1 in Parl. Papers 1959–60 (H.C. 260) VI. 1 Being ‘a bear of little brain,’ I like to think of it in terms of practicality.

1972 N.Y. Times 2 Jan. d9/2 [She] was assumed to be a bear of very little brain..and why should she be making all that money?

2012 S. Townsend Woman who went to Bed for Year vi. 39 May I join, please? Although I'm a bear of very little brain, I might give your serious little group a bit of badly needed glam.

P10. colloquial (originally U.S.). the average bear: the average person; chiefly used in comparative phrases, preceded by than.Originally and chiefly in smarter than the average bear, popularized as a catchphrase of the cartoon character Yogi Bear (see Yogi Bear n.).

ΘΚΠ

the world > people > person > [noun] > average

homme sensuel moyen1882

mass man1928

Joe Citizen1932

John Q.1937

the average bear1960

1960 Walla Walla (Washington) Union-Bull. 26 Apr. 8/5 (advt.) When you're hungry as Yogi Bear..be smarter than the average bear..ramble into Porter's.

1982 Guardian 6 Jan. 2/7 Asked..whether he had special contacts in London.., Mr Terpil replied: ‘I had certain facilities made available to me that the average bear would not have had.’

1990 Wall St. Jrnl. (Electronic ed.) 3 Jan. a7 Once the lawyers found out I might know a little more than the average bear, they denied me the right to serve [on the jury].

2005 Florida Times-Union (Nexis) 4 Aug. e1 Drink plenty of water... That means you'll go to the restroom more often than the average bear, but it really makes a difference.

P11. colloquial. do bears shit in the woods? and (sometimes euphemistic) variants: used ironically and humorously as a rhetorical response to a question to which the answer is considered blatantly obvious; ‘yes’, ‘of course’. Cf. is the Pope (a) Catholic? at pope n.¹ Phrases.

ΚΠ

1961 Washington Post 9 Sept. a26/3 Asked..if he would consider continuing as manager next season, Harris answered rhetorically, ‘Does a bear live in the woods?’

1966 M. Braly It's Cold out There 40 ‘You're telling me you're rooting?’ ‘Does a bear crap in the woods?’

1992 C. McCarthy All Pretty Horses (1993) i. 66 They sat their horses and looked down at him. Can you ride or not? said Rawlins. Does a bear shit in the woods? Hell yes I can ride. I was ridin when I fell off.

2018 Times (Nexis) 20 July ii. 14 Did she want to see him again? ‘Do bears shit in woods?’ replied our romantic heroine.

P12. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). bear in the air: a police helicopter; an officer in a police helicopter. Cf. sense 3e.Chiefly used in CB radio communications and by truckers.

ΚΠ

1975 ‘C. W. McCall’ Convoy (transcribed from song) in Black Bear Road Them smokies is thick as bugs on a bumper. They even had a bear in the air!

1989 D. Ing Ransom Black Stealth One xvii. 117 He had set the second radio on a police frequency scan pattern..because highway patrol aircraft flew at heights and speeds similar to his own..some Georgia bear in the air had spotted them.

2019 North Shore (Brit. Columbia) News (Nexis) 10 May (Final ed.) a43 The police need only modestly powered patrol cars for enforcement, as there's nothing that can outrun a radio signal. And if that fails there's always a helicopter—the Bear in the Air.

P13. to feed the bears: see to feed the bears at feed v. 1f; bring on your bears: see bring v.; to sell the bearskin before one has caught the bear: see skin n. Phrases 4b; to be loaded for bears: see load v. Additions a; fight dog, fight bear: see dog n.¹ Phrases 14.

Compounds

C1.

(a) General use as a modifier, as in bear cub, bear-fat, bear-fur, bear-hide, bear-hunt, bear-meat.Some early compounds of this type may in fact show the reflex of Old English genitive compounds; see discussion in the etymology section.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > hunting > hunting specific animals > [noun] > others

bear-hunt?c1225

squirrelling1594

bear hunting1664

wolfing1875

the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Ursidae (bear) > [noun] > young

bear cub?c1225

berling1399

cub1600

whelp1677

the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > game > [noun] > flesh of bear

bear-meat?c1225

bear1682

society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > [noun] > skins of other animals

bear-hide?c1225

russwale1336

roan skin1446

rabbit skin1760

zebra skin1774

kangaroo-skin1777

rack1805

alligator1877

ocelot1903

crocodile1907

society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > skin with hair attached or fur > [noun] > of bear

bearskinOE

bear-fur?c1225

bear's fella1375

society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > greasy or fatty material > [noun] > derived from animals > from other animals

bear-fat?c1225

goose-greasea1398

bear grease?1440

lard1486

bevy-grease1616

chicken fat1833

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 218 Þe deouel is beorecunnes.

c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 105 Þis leaste beore hwelp is grimmest of alle.

c1390 in F. J. Furnivall Minor Poems Vernon MS (1901) ii. 619 To helle he horlede..Beerynge as a Beore whelp.

1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus iv. i. 95 But if you hunt these Beare whelpes then beware, The Dam will wake.

1780 W. Fleming in N. D. Mereness Trav. Amer. Col. (1916) 640 Bear fat is preserved sweet and pure.

1803 Lit. Mag. (Philadelphia) Oct. 64 A grand bear hunt is proposed on the third Wednesday in October.

1825 W. Scott Betrothed iv, in Tales Crusaders II. 91 Stretch thyself on the bear-hide, and sleep.

1836 Southern Lit. Messenger 2 597 Animal food, both of beef and pork, of venison and bear meat.

1920 D. H. Lawrence Lost Girl i. 11 Winter coats..flourished their bear-fur cuffs.

2014 MailOnline (Nexis) 27 Oct. This curious little bear cub had a successful hunt for a mid-morning snack, as he is snapped with his jaws around a clam.

(b) As a modifier, designating food consisting of or made with bear meat, as in bear bacon, bear soup, bear steak, bear stew, etc.

ΚΠ

1709 E. Ward Secret Hist. Clubs xx. 215 Out..sprung a plentiful Excrescency of such delicious Sprouts, that a Mess of them Boil'd with a Gammon of Bear-Bacon, was the best Victuals in the Universe.

1839 Sporting Mag. Oct. 431 Bear-flesh was..served up to dinner that day under every possible shape—bear soup, bear stew, bear stakes, bear curry.

1905 Speaker 11 Nov. 126/1 Their desires..are centred in seal-steaks and bear-soup.

2012 Wilson (N. Carolina) Daily Times (Nexis) 13 Nov. He'll try bear burgers, bear sausage, bear steaks and bear ribs. He expects the big game to taste more or less like venison.

(c) Stock Market. General use as a modifier with the sense ‘characterized by or relating to a fall in the price of stock; expecting or desirous of a fall in the price of stock’. See branch II.See also Compounds 2c, bear squeeze n. 2, bear trap n. 2.

ΚΠ

1829 Devizes & Wilts. Gaz. 23 July The continuation as will be observed, approaching to ³/ ₈ per cent. shewing either a decided opinion in favour of the ultimate condition of Consols, or some distress on the part of the Bear speculators.

1932 Manch. Guardian 23 Nov. 14/1 Business in this market included much closing of bear positions, and jobbers generally are now bullish.

2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 4 July iii. 24/1 Stocks rebounded, and the bear funds ended the quarter as one of the industry's weakest groups.

(d) As a modifier, with the sense ‘of, characteristic of, or popular with gay men known as bears’; see sense 3d(b).

ΚΠ

1991 soc.motss 8 Apr. (Usenet newsgroup, accessed 24 Oct. 2019) The Eagle is a great leather bar... The Lone Star is great as a bear bar. If you like country dancing, check out the Rawhide.

1997 Bay Area Reporter 21 Aug. 55/3 Whether bear culture stands in opposition to dominant gay male culture, or simply aside from it, the phenomenon has gained a tremendous following in recent years. While Wright traces bear history back a few decades, he says the bear scene only started taking off nationally in the late 1980s.

2008 L. J. Heinberg & C. Kraft in S. Loue Health Issues confronting Minority Men who have Sex with Men ii. 74 The bear look is another Caucasian body type that is valued.

b. Forming adjectives with the sense ‘that has a bear's ——’, ‘having —— like a bear's’ by combining with a noun + -ed, as in bear-furred, bear-shaped, bear-sized, etc. See also bearskinned adj.

ΚΠ

1872 Reliquary Jan. Pl. XXII (following p. 172) Bear-shaped drinking vessel in Nottingham Ware.

1926 E. Sitwell Elegy on Dead Fashion 3 Nor walk within vast bear-furred woods.

2019 National Post's Financial Post & FP Investing (Canada) (Nexis) 15 Apr. b8 A bear-sized polo player with a temper and gambling habit to match his dominant stature.

C2.

bear bell n. North American (chiefly in plural) a bell attached to a rucksack, walking stick, etc., to signal the presence of a person walking in an area frequented by bears. Bear bells are carried in the hope that the sound will encourage a bear to leave the area, and not be startled by a person's sudden appearance, though their efficacy is debated.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > indication > signalling > audible signalling > ringing of bells as signal > [noun] > other signal bells

moot-bellc1210

guild-bell1555

watch-bell1577

toll-bell1736

joy-bells1808

bear bell1975

1975 Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 23 Oct. 38/2 It's in grizzly country, so with our ‘bear bells’ clanging we made the 10-mile trek.

2003 Canad. Geographic Trav. & Adventure Spring–Summer 34/2 Bear bells may repel other hikers, but they do little to discourage bears.

bear bile n. bile obtained from a bear, used in traditional Chinese and Asian medicine as a treatment for liver disease and various other conditions.The practice of extracting bile from living bears kept in captivity became a major target for animal welfare groups in the late 20th cent.

ΚΠ

1926 Acta Scholae Medicinalis Universitatis Imperialis in Kioto 9 362 Castor oil, dried bear bile and ox bile do not manifest opening effect upon this sphincter.

1990 Sci. Amer. Oct. 12/1 Wildlife agents have no reliable way to detect such illegal exotica as bear bile, turtle oil and Oriental potions containing rhinoceros horn.

2009 New Scientist 2 May 43/1 There is some evidence from western medicine that a synthetic version of the active ingredient in bear bile, ursodeoxycholic acid, can treat a range of diseases, including hepatitis C.

† bearbrat n. Obsolete rare a term of abuse for a person.Apparently an isolated use.

ΚΠ

1582 R. Stanyhurst in tr. Virgil First Foure Bookes Æneis 105 Thee bearbrat boucher thy corps with villenye mangled.

† bearbug n. Obsolete rare an imaginary, evil creature intended to frighten children; cf. bugbear n. 2.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the supernatural > supernatural being > fairy or elf > [noun] > imp, goblin, or hobgoblin

thursec725

puckOE

puckleOE

goblina1350

hurlewaynes kin1399

Hoba1500

bogle?1507

chimera?1521

hobgoblin1530

chyppynutie?1553

bearbug1560

boggard1570

bugbear?c1570

empusa1572

puckerelc1580

puck bug1582

imp1584

urchin1584

fear-babea1586

hob-thrush1590

hodge-poker1598

lar1598

poker1598

bogle-bo1603

mormo1605

foliot1621

mormolukee1624

buggle-boo1625

pug1631

black man1656

feind1659

Tom Poker1673

duende1691

boodie?a1700

worricow1711

bolly1724

Tom Po1744

fleying1811

pooka1824

booger1827

alp1828

boll1847

bogy1857

beastie1867

boogie1880

shag boy1882

1560 J. Heywood Fourth Hundred Epygrams xciv. sig. Bviii^v When do mothers fray their babes most from duggs. When they put on blacke scarfs, & go lyke beare buggs.

a1577 T. Smith Orations Queens Marriage ii, in J. Strype Life T. Smith (1698) App. iii. 34 The Fear in which you put me was with a Vizor only which you had taken upon you, and so made me afraid, as Children be afraid of Bearbuggs and Bulbeggers.

bear cave n. U.S. slang. (in CB radio communications and among truckers) a police station; cf. sense 3e and bear den n.

ΚΠ

1976 Daily News (N.Y.) 11 June (CB & Sound Suppl.) 2/1 Bear Cave, police station.

1981 CB Radio Mag. Mar. 28/2 When we arrived at the bear cave we were surrounded by police.

bear crawl n. a physical exercise in which a person moves forward on the hands and feet, with knees raised off the ground and hips in the air.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > gymnastics > exercise > [noun] > specific exercises

breathing1605

breather1802

arm swing1859

setting-up drill1862

grasshopper march1884

lunge1889

push-up1897

sit-up1900

pull-up1901

deep-breathing1904

bag-punching1927

press-up1928

setting-up exercise1935

pullover1936

bear crawl1937

burpee1939

knee-bend1941

leg raise1944

dip1945

uddiyana1949

squat thrust1950

lateral1954

pull-down1956

aquacise1968

step-up1973

abdominal crunch1981

power walking1982

crunch1983

gut-buster1983

stomach crunch1986

1937 Training School Bull. (Vineland, New Jersey) Oct. 124 The Annual Field Day exercises were held... There were twenty-four scheduled events, some of them being..bear crawl; baseball throw and piggy back race.

2009 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 24 Sept. e8/2 Staples of Ms. Murphy's group conditioning classes..include push-ups, pull-ups, mountain climbers and bear crawls.

bear den n. (also bear's den) U.S. slang (in CB radio communications and among truckers) a police station; cf. sense 3e and bear cave n.

ΘΚΠ

society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > police office or station

police office1781

station1814

police station1820

factory1890

front office1900

cop-shop1941

law station1958

bear den1975

1975 S9 Oct. 32/2 Bear's Den, any police station.

1976 Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, Va.) 27 Apr. 7 (advt.) Bear Den (or Cave)—A police station.

bear grease n. (also bear's grease) the fat of a bear, used esp. in medical and cosmetic preparations.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > greasy or fatty material > [noun] > derived from animals > from other animals

bear-fat?c1225

goose-greasea1398

bear grease?1440

lard1486

bevy-grease1616

chicken fat1833

tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) i. l. 838 And euery toole in beris grees defoule.

1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. 103 Wild Rose leaues reduced into a liniment with Beares grease.

1843 W. M. Thackeray Irish Sketch-bk. II. ix. 128 A tuft on the chin, may be had at a small expense of bear's grease by persons of a proper age.

2004 M. Engelhard Where Rain Children Sleep vi. 81 The tree's blood mixed with bear grease is spread on infections or chapped skin.

bear-proof adj. secure against bears; esp. (of a rubbish bin, food container, etc.) effective in preventing bears from gaining access to food or food waste.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > safety > [adjective] > safe or invulnerable > specific

pistol-proof1590

sword-proofa1593

fireproof1610

plot proofa1616

shot-free1616

stick-free1632

armour-proof1635

water-free1642

sting-free1644

iron-free1670

bomb-proof1702

ball-proof1759

bear-proof1840

bullet-proof1856

dingo-proof1873

aseismic1884

tamperproof1886

radioresistant1922

tamper-resistant1978

1840 Foreign Q. Rev. Apr. 46/1 Experience gradually taught them to make their snow cellars bear-proof, and in their subsequent excursions they almost invariably found their buried stores untouched.

2014 K. McCafferty Dead Man's Fancy 244 He stopped at a bear-proof garbage can and tossed in a bag of trash.

bear-proof v. transitive to make (a rubbish bin, structure, etc.) bear-proof.

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1933 G. M. Wright et al. Fauna National Parks U.S. 127 A special attempt should..be made to bear-proof every source of food in the centers of human habitation.

2015 R. Mazur Speaking of Bears xi. 82 All thirty-two-gallon trash cans in all three parks were bear-proofed with the mailbox-style lids.

† bear's fell n. (also bear fell) Obsolete a bearskin.In quot. OE as a genitive phrase or compound (compare discussion in the etymology section).

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society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > skin with hair attached or fur > [noun] > of bear

bearskinOE

bear-fur?c1225

bear's fella1375

OE Acct. Voy. Ohthere & Wulfstan in tr. Orosius Hist. (Tiber.) (1980) i. i. 15 Se byrdesta sceall gyldan fiftyne mearðes fell & fif hranes & an beran fel.]

a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 2361 (MED) Þe beres fel schal neuer fro my bac.

a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 2430 Wiþ hem boþe bere-felles þei bere in here armes.

bear's-muck n. English regional (east midlands) a layer of soil found in fens, consisting of a mass of decaying organic material mixed with soft clay and having a powerful odour.

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society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > other organic fuels > [noun] > turf or peat

turfc1300

peat1333

turbaryc1450

turf1510

moor-coal1562

peat moss1775

bear's-muck1784

vag1796

breast-peat1802

gathering-peat1825

sod1825

bat1846

flight1847

mump1887

1784 C. N. Cole Extracts Rep. View South Level, 1777 31 Whoever knows the Nature of the Soil of these Washways, must know that they are..of the worst Sort of Soil in the Great Level, consisting of Moor Land and Bears Muck to the Depth of fifteen or sixteen Feet.

1846 J. Clarke in Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 7 ii. 517 The ‘dead peat,’ commonly called ‘bear's muck.’

2006 C. Evans & I. Hodder Woodland Archaeol. ii. 39/2 Taken from the ‘Bear's Muck’ and throughout the Fen Clay.., her results indicated ‘quiet water’ brackish marsh, swamp or lagoon conditions, with infrequent tidal coverage and no significant freshwater input.

bear spray n. a liquid made from capsaicin and related compounds used in the form of an aerosol spray to deter charging bears; (also) a spray can containing this liquid.

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1970 Mt. Pleasant (Iowa) News 18 July 1/6 I plan cheerfully (?) to acquire long underwear, anti-bear spray, and a better attitude.]

1989 L. Kaniut More Alaska Bear Tales 264 ‘Bear spray’ is another deterrent that has come to the attention of the public in the past year or two.

2008 Field & Stream Aug. 26/1 It took me less than a second to deploy a wide and accurate blast of bear spray from a chest holster.

2018 Yukon News (Nexis) 10 Oct. A6 Take your bear spray with you every time you go hiking, running and cycling.

Bear State n. U.S. the state of Arkansas.Also occasionally applied to other states, see e.g. quot. 1872.

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1848 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms App. s.v. I once asked a Western man if Arkansas abounded in bears, that it should be designated as the ‘Bear State’?

1872 M. S. De Vere Americanisms 658 Arkansas is called the Bear State, though..the name is pronounced Bar State... California enjoys the same title.

1997 R. Reed Faubus xiv. 159 Some of the meaner sort slid off the bottom corner into Texas..but most of the raw-tempered settlers stayed in the Bear State.

bear wallow n. U.S. a depression in the ground thought to be made by the wallowing of bears; also as a modifier in earliest use.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > land > landscape > marsh, bog, or swamp > [noun] > wet place, mire, or slough > wallow

soila1425

hog hole1688

bear wallow1766

hog wallow1829

wallow1841

1766 in Amer. Speech (1940) 15 155/1 Two White Oaks Saplings by the Bear Wallow Drains.

1891 M. E. Ryan Pagan of Alleghanies v. 62 He rode..on through the columns of white-oak, whose feet are caressed by feathers and fern in the long, desolate ‘bear-wallow’.

2008 N. Krapf Bloodroot 75 Deep In the woods we would find bear wallows clawed Out of the soft floor of a cave.

bear warden n. now historical (in Britain) a person who takes care of bears, bulls, apes, or other animals, training and managing them for displays of public entertainment, such as baiting and dancing; = bearward n. 1.

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the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping or breeding other animals > [noun] > keeper or tamer of wild beasts

bearward1179

leopard-man1390

masterc1425

bear-leader1503

bearherd1590

bear warden1740

lion-tamer1798

lion-keepera1843

1740 Daily Gazetteer 14 Oct. Yet is this Honourable Personage abus'd by the Bear-Warden of Hockey in the Hole, as making it his daily Study to find out Ways and Means to pillage those he should protect.

1884 W. Besant in Contemp. Rev. Mar. 343 The bear-warden's fiddle.

2016 L. Williams Emblem of Faith Untouched x. 67 Stopping to watch a bear baiting by Lady Elizabeth's bear warden.

† bear-wolf n. Obsolete a term of abuse for a person.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > inferior person > [noun] > as abused

warlockOE

swinec1175

beastc1225

wolf's-fista1300

avetrolc1300

congeonc1300

dirtc1300

slimec1315

snipec1325

lurdanc1330

misbegetc1330

sorrowa1350

shrew1362

jordan1377

wirlingc1390

frog?a1400

warianglea1400

wretcha1400

horcop14..

turdc1400

callet1415

lotterela1450

paddock?a1475

souter1478

chuff?a1500

langbain?c1500

cockatrice1508

sow1508

spink1508

wilrone1508

rook?a1513

streaker?a1513

dirt-dauber?1518

marmoset1523

babiona1529

poll-hatcheta1529

bear-wolf1542

misbegotten1546

pig1546

excrement1561

mamzer1562

chuff-cat1563

varlet1566

toada1568

mandrake1568

spider1568

rat1571

bull-beef1573

mole-catcher1573

suppository1573

curtal1578

spider-catcher1579

mongrela1585

roita1585

stickdirta1585

dogfish1589

Poor John1589

dog's facec1590

tar-boxa1592

baboon1592

pot-hunter1592

venom1592

porcupine1594

lick-fingers1595

mouldychaps1595

tripe1595

conundrum1596

fat-guts1598

thornback1599

land-rat1600

midriff1600

stinkardc1600

Tartar1600

tumbril1601

lobster1602

pilcher1602

windfucker?1602

stinker1607

hog rubber1611

shad1612

splay-foot1612

tim1612

whit1612

verdugo1616

renegado1622

fish-facea1625

flea-trapa1625

hound's head1633

mulligrub1633

nightmare1633

toad's-guts1634

bitch-baby1638

shagamuffin1642

shit-breech1648

shitabed1653

snite1653

pissabed1672

bastard1675

swab1687

tar-barrel1695

runt1699

fat-face1740

shit-sack1769

vagabond1842

shick-shack1847

soor1848

b1851

stink-pot1854

molie1871

pig-dog1871

schweinhund1871

wind-sucker1880

fucker1893

cocksucker1894

wart1896

so-and-so1897

swine-hound1899

motherfucker1918

S.O.B.1918

twat1922

mong1926

mucker1929

basket1936

cowson1936

zombie1936

meatball1937

shower1943

chickenshit1945

mugger1945

motherferyer1946

hooer1952

morpion1954

mother1955

mother-raper1959

louser1960

effer1961

salaud1962

gunk1964

scunge1967

1542 H. Brinkelow Lamentacion sig. Bii^v Turne your chauntries and obbettes from the profettes of these Beerewolues whelpes.

1652 H. Bell tr. M. Luther Colloquia Mensalia xxiii. 300 Luther held a very sharp earnest Disputation at Wittemberg (which continued three hours) against that abominable monster, the Pope, that Bear-wolf [Ger. den Beerwolff], who exceedeth all tyrannie and oppression.

b. In the names of plants and animals.See also bearberry n., bearcat n., bear's foot n., etc.bear's whortleberry: see the second element.

bear animalcule n. now somewhat rare a tardigrade (tardigrade n. 2a).

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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Arachnida > [noun] > member of Tardigrada

tardigrade1800

water bear1848

bear animalcule1855

1855 W. S. Dallas in Orr's Circle Sci.: Org. Nature II. 319 They are known as Sloth or Bear-animalcules, and they are to be found in moss or in fresh water.

a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. xiv. 376 Another puzzling order is that of the Bear Animalcules, Water Bears, Sloth Animalcules, or Tardigrades, very minute creatures with four pairs of unjointed clawed legs which are like little stumps.

2002 E. O. Wilson Future of Life i. 4 In the even more brutal conditions on bare land away from the stream channels live sparse assemblages of microbes and fungi together with rotifers, bear animalcules, mites, and springtails feeding on them.

† bear-ape n. Obsolete a three-toed sloth (genus Bradypus).

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the world > animals > mammals > order Edentata > [noun] > family Bradypodidae (sloth) > member genus Bradypus

bear-ape1607

ai1625

ursine bradypus1791

ursine sloth1800

1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 19 Of the Bear-Ape Arctopithecus... His belly hangeth very low, his head and face like vnto a childes... His skin is of an ash-colour, and hairie like a Beare: he hath but three clawes on a foot, as longe as foure fingers,..whereby he climbeth vp into the highest trees.

1746 tr. D. De Coetlogon Tour through Animal World 34 An Ape (of which there are two other Sorts, viz. the Bear-Ape and the Fore-Ape) is rather more mischievous than the Monkeys, and much more fierce and cruel.

bear grass n. North American any of several flowering plants which have long coarse grasslike leaves; esp. common yucca, Yucca filamentosa, and squaw grass, Xerophyllum tenax; (also) the leaves of such a plant.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > non-British plants or herbs > [noun] > North American > other plants

bear grass1750

gardenia1756

sisyrinchium1767

heartsease1785

blazing star1789

nondo1791

unicorn-plant1796

screw-stem1802

American centaury1803

wild ginger?1804

pinweed1814

sabbatia1814

mountain mint1817

orange-root1817

richweed1818

goldenseal1828

pipeweed1837

snow plant1846

lopseed1850

devil's claw1876

turkey's beard1884

richweed1894

blue star grass1999

the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > cultivated or ornamental trees and shrubs > [noun] > yuccas

yucca1664

Adam's Needle1730

bear grass1750

Spanish Bayonet1823

yucca-tree1828

Spanish dagger1859

dagger-plant1866

dasylirion1880

sotol1881

soap-weed1884

1750 T. Walker Jrnl. 12 Apr. in J. S. Johnston First Explor. Kentucky (1898) 48 On the Banks is some Bear-Grass.

1838 Farmers' Reg. Aug. 289/2 The economical uses of the Yucca filamentosa or bear-grass, i. e. of the unscraped leaves or slips of leaves, have been known from time immemorial, in all our southern and south-western states.

1997 C. Shields Larry's Party (1998) v. 96 ‘No’, Larry said, baffled, fiddling with a pile of bear grass on his work counter.

2019 @absolutepepper 6 Aug. in twitter.com (accessed 8 Aug. 2019) We didn't know it was going to be one of the best years for bear grass blooms (it usually blooms every 5-7 years)! The mountain sides were full of it!

bear hound n. a dog used for hunting or baiting bears and other animals; cf. bear dog n. 2.

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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > dogs used for specific purposes > [noun] > sporting or hunting dog > that hunts specific animals

bear dog1616

wolf-dog1652

coney dog1681

foumart-dog?1748

bird dog1755

boar-dog1792

bear hound1807

wolf-hound1823

toller1831

coon-dog1833

pig-dog1845

rat terrier1851

ratter1858

rabbiter1859

squirrel-dog1860

badgerer1876

boar-hound1884

turkey-dog1895

coon hound1920

1807 tr. A. von Kotzebue Novellettes III. iii. 215 O Tolpatch! Tolpatch! king of all bear-hounds [Ger. Bärenhunde]—pride and ornament of Wellingrade—my companion in the chace—my worthy comrade!

1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. I. iii. i. 92 The Wolf-hounds shall fall suppressed, the Bear-hounds, the Falconry.

2002 J. Cunliffe Encycl. Dog Breeds (new ed.) 153/1 The varieties of bearhound differed primarily in size and prominent amongst them was the elkhound, sometimes referred to as the Scandinavian pointer as this was used not only for hunting both elk and bear, but also as a gundog for blackcock.

bear oak n. U.S. a small shrubby oak native to eastern North America, Quercus ilicifolia, which has acorns used a source of food by bears.

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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > tree or shrub groups > oak and allies > [noun] > dwarf, scrub, or shrub varieties

scrub oak1671

ground-oaka1723

shrub oak1753

bear oak1810

shin-oak1844

Sadler's oak1897

1810 F. A. Michaux Histoire des Arbres Forestiers de l'Amérique Septentrionale I. 24 Bear' oak (Chêne d'ours), connu sous ce nom dans les Etats de New-Jersey et de New-York.

1900 H. L. Keeler Our Native Trees 368 Quercus ilicifolia... The early settlers of New England called it Bear Oak..because the bears loved its bitter little acorns.

2014 Gaston (Gastonia, N. Carolina) Gaz. 24 Feb. 1 a/1 The acorns of one tree, the bear oak, need trauma like fire to crack open and allow new growth.

bear root n. (also bear's root) now chiefly North American (the root of) any of various herbaceous plants typically used medicinally, originally including hellebore or false hellebore; (in later use) esp. osha, Ligusticum porteri.

ΚΠ

1585 J. Higgins tr. Junius Nomenclator 129/2 Libanotis..Hogs fenel, or beares roote.

1751 J. Eliot Contin. Ess. Field-husbandry in New Eng. 25 Take the Roots of Swamp Hellebore, sometimes called Skunk Cabbage, Tickle Weed, Bear Root.

1800 Compl. Family Physician i. ii. 51 Black hellebore, more commonly called bear's root, has been also recommended to be taken in a decoction of a dram of the green leaves in a quarter of a pint of water.

2019 @pilikikamoe 16 June in twitter.com (accessed 21 June 2019) I recommend bear root (Osha) for anyone who has anxiety, or gets sick easily. It's a natural medicine that can be chewed or made into a tea.

bear's breech n. (also bear breech) = bear's breeches n. [Probably so called on account of a fancied resemblance of the large jagged leaves to the rump of a bear (compare breech n. 4).]

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Acanthaceae (acanthus) > [noun]

sea-docka1400

bear's footc1400

bear claw1543

acanthus1551

brank-ursine1551

bear's breech1565

acanth1648

Malabar nut1694

spirit-leaf1696

spirit weed1699

snap-tree?1711

many-roots1750

ruellia1751

Christmas pride1756

menow weed1756

strobilanthes1836

adelaster1863

bear's breeches1882

1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Acanthus The herbe called Branke vrsine or Bearebreech, and not Bearefoote: as some haue taken it.

1736 N. Bailey Dict. Domesticum 71 Bears breech or Brank Ursine, is an herb of singular use in physick, for ruptures; as also for the gout and cramp.

2014 R. R. Clausen & T. Christopher Essent. Perennials 29/1 Bear's breech can take over a small space and is considered by some to be invasive,..—its tenacious roots are almost impossible to eradicate.

bear's breeches n. any plant of the genus Acanthus (family Acanthaceae), esp. A. mollis and A. spinosus, widely cultivated as garden plants for their foliage and spikes of white and purple flowers; = bear's breech n.Also called bear's foot, brank-ursine. [Apparently an alteration of bear's breech n. with the second element misapprehended as showing breech n. 1.]

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Acanthaceae (acanthus) > [noun]

sea-docka1400

bear's footc1400

bear claw1543

acanthus1551

brank-ursine1551

bear's breech1565

acanth1648

Malabar nut1694

spirit-leaf1696

spirit weed1699

snap-tree?1711

many-roots1750

ruellia1751

Christmas pride1756

menow weed1756

strobilanthes1836

adelaster1863

bear's breeches1882

1882 Gardener's Monthly & Horticulturist Jan. 30/1 As for ‘Bears-breeches’, we fancy Acanthus, classical though it be, will be preferred to the plain English.

1988 Times 13 Aug. 17/2 One good late summer plant which could bear a revival is the acanthus, known as ‘bear's breeches’, whose handsome leaves provided the pattern for decorative stonework in churches.

2011 A. M. Armitage Armitage's Garden Perennials (ed. 2) 14/2 The leaf of common bear's breeches is much fuller and more rounded than that of spiny bear's breeches, which is sharply lobed.

bear's ear n. (also bear's ears) any of several primroses (genus Primula); spec. the auricula, P. auricula. [After post-classical Latin auricula ursi, arctotium (both 1584 or earlier).]

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > particular flower or plant esteemed for flower > [noun] > primrose and allied flowers > primrose or auricula

primrosea1425

primula1526

petty mullein1578

bear's ear1597

bear's ear sanicle1597

bird's eye1597

mountain cowslip1597

rock rose1597

French cowslip1629

auricula1655

polyanthusa1678

polyanth1757

Scotch primrose1777

plumrose1787

plumrock1789

bird's eye primrose1796

Chinese primrose1825

dusty miller1825

Jack-in-the-box1850

Jack in the green1875

polyanthus primrose1882

boar's-ears-

1597 J. Gerard Herball ii. 640 There be diuers sorts of Mountaine Cowslips, or Beares eares.

1712 J. Mortimer Art of Husbandry: Pt. II 170 Auricula's, or Bears-Ears, is a Flower that affords a very great Variety of Form as well as of Colour.

2014 Dorking & Leatherhead Advertiser (Nexis) 12 Feb. 28 The auricula section, P[rimula] auricula, often known as auricula, mountain cowslip or bear's ear (from the shape of its leaves), grows on rocks in the mountain ranges of central Europe.

bear's ear sanicle n. now historical and rare a herbaceous perennial native to mountainous regions of southern and eastern Europe, Cortusa matthioli (family Primulaceae), which has hairy toothed leaves and clusters of drooping purple bell-shaped flowers.

ΘΚΠ

primrosea1425

primula1526

petty mullein1578

bear's ear1597

bear's ear sanicle1597

bird's eye1597

mountain cowslip1597

rock rose1597

French cowslip1629

auricula1655

polyanthusa1678

polyanth1757

Scotch primrose1777

plumrose1787

plumrock1789

bird's eye primrose1796

Chinese primrose1825

dusty miller1825

Jack-in-the-box1850

Jack in the green1875

polyanthus primrose1882

boar's-ears-

bear's ear sanicle1597

French cowslip1597

mountain bindweed1597

blue moonwort1629

soldanella1629

chickweed wintergreen1640

primrose1688

Meadia1744

American cowslip1866

wood pimpernel1866

soldanelle1886

1597 J. Gerard Herball ii. 645/1 (caption) Sanicula Alpina Clusii, siue Cortusa Mathioli. Beares eare Sanicle.

?1755 J. Hill Gardener's Pocket-bk. App. 38 Bear's Ear-Sanicle, by parting their Roots, in August or September, must not be in too wet or stiff soil, or under Trees.

1985 Country Life 14 Feb. 396/3 At one time Cortusa matthioli was Bear's Ear Sanicle.

bear's garlic n. the plant ramsons, Allium ursinum.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > vegetables > onion, leek, or garlic > [noun] > garlic > wild garlic

ramseOE

ramsonsOE

ramps?a1425

ramsey1499

bear's garlic1578

ramp1826

the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular vegetables > [noun] > onion, leek, or garlic > garlic > wild garlic

ramseOE

ramsonsOE

affodilla1400

ramps?a1425

ramsey1499

wild leek1551

bear's garlic1578

buckrams1578

lily leek1597

moly1597

vine-leek1597

wild chive1784

ramp1826

1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball v. lxxi. 638 The thirde kinde is called..in English, Ramsons, Buckrammes, & Beares Garlike.

1990 Better Homes & Gardens Oct. 175/2 (advt.) Each [allium] collection contains 10 drumstick allium, 5 Rosenbach onions, 5 bear's garlic, 2 giant allium, and 10 golden garlic.

2011 Ecosystems 14 1292/1 In spring, bear's garlic (Allium ursinum) forms a dense understory.

bear worm n. now rare any of various hairy larvae, esp. caterpillars; cf. woolly bear n. at woolly adj. and n. Compounds 2.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Lepidoptera or butterflies and moths > [noun] > larva > hairy

woubit1483

palmer1538

bear worm1577

furry1598

tailor-fly1682

woolly boy1805

tailor1816

woolly bear1863

miller1883

woolly worm1909

1577 Arte of Angling sig. D.iiii^v He will bite very well at a Menowe, the great redworme, the white worme,..the hornet, the great beare worme in a swifte streame, or at a myl tayle.

1608 E. Topsell Hist. Serpents 105 These Catterpillers..by reason of their roughnes and ruggednes, some call them Beare-wormes.

1792 Nat. Hist. Insects xv. 174 Some call them bear Worms, because they are all over hair.

1947 Pests & their Control May 28/2 The larvae of the tiger moths are densely covered with long hairs, a characteristic which has earned them the name of bear-worms, or woolly-bears.

c. Stock Market. See branch II.

bear covering n. the practice of purchasing stock, which the trader has already contracted to another buyer at a set price, at a price higher than anticipated in order to ensure the stock is owned before delivery is due.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > [noun] > specific operations or arrangements > share-buying activities

subscribing1762

flyer1846

bearing1849

stagging1851

take-up1865

bear covering1881

straddle1883

portfolio investment1929

short covering1930

support buying1932

foreign portfolio investment1951

corporate raiding1957

leveraged1957

tender offer1964

buy-in1968

management buyout1977

bought deal1981

greenmail1983

MBO1986

bimbo1991

1881 Manch. Courier 26 Feb. 5/3 In deliveries a slight improvement was looked upon as the result of bear covering to secure profits.

1930 M. Clark Home Trade 271 On the other hand, the bear who does not see prices fall in accordance with his hopes may also have to cut his loss and buy the shares he has already sold when not in possession of them at the best price possible. He enters the market as a buyer and by his buying sends up the price of the securities in which he is dealing. This buying is known as ‘bear covering’.

1969 Daily Tel. 5 Mar. 4/1 The share-price, helped also by a measure of bear-covering, rose 1s 6d.

2011 DNA (Nexis) 22 Aug. Gold has seen a parabolic rally that was triggered by safe haven buying and some bear covering.

bear market n. a market characterized by the falling price of stock (see sense 10); opposed to bull market n. at bull n.¹ Additions.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > [noun] > traffic in stocks and shares > types of market

commodity market1843

primary market1859

short interest1866

bear market1873

aftermarket1887

terminal market1887

Kaffir Circus1889

shop1889

bull market1891

open1898

curb-market1900

the junglea1901

jungle-market1900

short market1900

down market1915

short end1964

third market1964

Unlisted Securities Market1979

USM1979

bulldog market1980

1873 Pall Mall Gaz. 12 Mar. 9/2 Home Railway Stocks are a ‘bear’ market, and there is a backwardation in Sheffield Stock.

1926 H. J. Wolf Stud. Stock Speculation II. 25 If the above mentioned ‘bear’ will apply his remarks to a bear market, instead of a bull market, we are in agreement.

1971 H. D. Berman Stock Exchange (ed. 6) xiii. 127 It is the funds that are depressed, such as the capital trusts at the end of a bear market, which should be bought.

1986 What Investm. July 15/3 Major bear markets of the past have always been caused by worldwide events.

2011 N.Y. Times 9 Oct. (Late ed.) (Business section) 21/2 He tries..guarding his shareholders against what he calls ‘stomach churn’—the anxiety that comes from bear markets and collapsing stock prices.

bear raid n. a speculative attempt to profit from a fall in the price of stock; (also) an attempt to cause a stock price to fall, sometimes by means of unfounded rumours, in order to make a profit.

ΚΠ

1865 Boston Post 30 Mar. The ten cent a share Oil Companies in Philadelphia are largely held by the boot-blacks and news-boys there and bull and bear raids are organizing.

1870 J. K. Medbery Men & Myst. Wall St. iii. 31 A grave-faced man..is spreading the news of this fierce ‘bear’ raid, by which Central has been hammered down five per cent.

1938 H. V. Hodson Slump & Recovery viii. 241 The memorandum argued that the reduction of stocks and the gradual liquidation of the private international pool were bringing the chance of a corner in tin, or of a ‘bear raid’ against it, close to reality.

1993 Independent on Sunday 24 Oct. (Business section) 2/3 His reaction to the bear raids that have hurt Betterware's share price is to bring forward the group's results to this Thursday.

2014 Daily Tel. 25 Apr. (Business section) 1/1 Mr Cawkwell, who staged a so-called ‘bear-raid’ on Quindell last May, has a short position in the stock.

bear raider n. an investor who initiates or participates in a bear raid (bear raid n.).

ΚΠ

1877 North Amer. (Philadelphia) 30 Apr. The week will be remembered as one in which the power of the bear raiders was severely tried.

1887 N.Y. Times 30 July 5/2 The stock market yesterday seemed on a dead run for the demnition bow-wows. Nobody had any fun but the bear raiders; they had not only fun but profits.

1930 Economist 11 Oct. 674/1 Despite the authorities' threat of disciplinary measures against bear raiders, further selling depresses prices.

2003 Financial Times (Nexis) 1 Feb. (Saturday London ed.) 16 When the FTSE 100 briefly dipped below 3,400 mark on Wednesday, hedge funds and bear raiders had a clear target to aim at.

bear spread n. a strategy in which a trader, expecting a downturn in the market, sells one option and purchases another in such a way as to profit from the downturn or minimize losses.

ΚΠ

1967 L. D. Belveal Commodity Speculation xv. 230 If he believes the spread will widen in the future, he will sell the nearby contract and buy the deferred contract. (This is called a bear spread.)

2003 D. L. Scott Wall St. Words 28 An example of a bear spread is the purchase of a call option and the simultaneous sale of another call option with a lower strike price and the same expiration date as the option purchased.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2020; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

bearv.¹

Brit.

/bɛː/, U.S.

/bɛ(ə)r/

Inflections: Past tense bore Brit.

/bɔː/, U.S.

/bɔr/; Past participle borne Brit.

/bɔːn/, U.S.

/bɔrn/, born Brit.

/bɔːn/, U.S.

/bɔrn/;

Forms: 1. Present stem. (a) early Old English beorrenne (inflected infinitive, transmission error), Old English baran (perhaps transmission error), Old English bæran (rare), Old English beara (Northumbrian), Old English beoran (chiefly non-West Saxon), Old English beran, Old English bernende (present participle, transmission error), Old English breran (present subjunctive plural, transmission error), Old English byran (rare), late Old English bieran (Kentish), early Middle English bære, early Middle English berenn ( Ormulum), early Middle English biere (south-western), early Middle English bore (south-west midlands), Middle English bare, Middle English beore (chiefly south-west midlands), Middle English beyr, Middle English buere (south-west midlands), Middle English–1500s ber, Middle English–1500s berre, Middle English–1500s beyre, Middle English–1600s beer, Middle English 1600s beere, Middle English–1600s bere, Middle English–1700s beare, 1500s baire, 1500s beire, 1500s– bear, 1600s bayre, 1600s bearre; English regional 1900s beear (north-western), 2000s– burr (Kent); Scottish pre-1700 bair, pre-1700 baire, pre-1700 bar, pre-1700 bayr, pre-1700 beare, pre-1700 beer, pre-1700 beir, pre-1700 beire, pre-1700 ber, pre-1700 bere, pre-1700 berre, pre-1700 beyr, pre-1700 beyre, pre-1700 1700s bare, pre-1700 1700s– bear; Irish English 1700s beer, 1800s ber (Wexford); (b) also 3rd singular indicative early Old English bierð, early Old English birð, Old English biereð (rare), Old English biraþ (rare), Old English bireþ (rare), Old English bireð, Old English byrþ, Old English–early Middle English byrð, late Old English byreþ (in prefixed forms), early Middle English byrd. 2. Past tense. a. Strong. i. Originally 1st and 3rd singular indicative.

α. Old English baer (Northumbrian, in prefixed forms), Old English bęr (Mercian), Old English–early Middle English bær, Old English (rare)–Middle English ber, late Old English (Kentish)–Middle English bar, early Middle English barr ( Ormulum), early Middle English bear (south-west midlands), early Middle English beare (south-western), Middle English baar, Middle English baare, Middle English bayr (northern), Middle English bayre (northern), Middle English–1500s beer, Middle English–1500s beere, Middle English–1500s bere, Middle English–1700s (1800s–1900s archaic) bare, 1500s barre; Scottish pre-1700 baere, pre-1700 bair, pre-1700 baire, pre-1700 bar, pre-1700 bayr, pre-1700 bayre, pre-1700 ber, pre-1700 bere, pre-1700 1800s bare, pre-1700 1800s beer; N.E.D. (1887) also records a form Middle English beir.

β. Middle English bor, Middle English boyr, Middle English– bore, 1500s boore, 1500s boure, 1500s–1600s boare, 1600s–1700s boar; Scottish pre-1700 boir, pre-1700 boor, pre-1700 bowir, pre-1700 1700s boore, pre-1700 1700s– bore.

γ. Scottish pre-1700 buir, pre-1700 buire, pre-1700 bur, pre-1700 buyr, pre-1700 buyre, pre-1700 bwir, pre-1700 bwyir, pre-1700 1700s–1800s bure.

ii. Plural indicative Old English bęron (in prefixed forms), Old English–early Middle English bæran, Old English (in prefixed forms)–early Middle English bæren, Old English–early Middle English bæron, Old English (chiefly Anglian)–early Middle English beron, early Middle English bærenn ( Ormulum), early Middle English beore (south-west midlands and south-western), early Middle English beoren (south-west midlands and south-western), early Middle English boren (East Anglian). b. Weak late Middle English baryd, 1500s–1600s (1900s– U.S. regional) beared. 3. Past participle. a. Strong.

α. Old English boræn (rare), Old English born- (inflected form), Old English giboren (Northumbrian), Old English (rare)–early Middle English (in copy of Old English charter) geboran, Old English–early Middle English geboren, Old English (Mercian)–Middle English boron, Old English–1600s boren, late Old English boran, early Middle English borenn ( Ormulum), early Middle English ȝeboren, Middle English borin, Middle English borun, Middle English boryn, Middle English iboren, Middle English iborin, Middle English iborn, Middle English jboren, Middle English yboren, Middle English (1500s–1600s archaic) yborn, Middle English–1600s boorn, Middle English– born, 1600s bourn, 1800s bawn (Caribbean); English regional 1800s–1900s boorn; Scottish pre-1700 boren, pre-1700 borin, pre-1700 1700s– born.

β. Old English beren (rare), early Middle English baren, 1500s berne.

γ. Middle English boor, Middle English boore, Middle English bor, Middle English ebore, Middle English hibore, Middle English hybore, Middle English ibor, Middle English jbore, Middle English ybor, Middle English (1500s–1600s archaic) ibore, Middle English (1500s–1600s archaic) ybore, Middle English–1800s bore, 1500s y'bore (archaic); Scottish pre-1700 boir, pre-1700 bor, pre-1700 bore, pre-1700 boyr, pre-1700 ybor.

δ. Middle English bornne, Middle English boryne, Middle English eborene, Middle English eborne, Middle English iborenne, Middle English iborne, Middle English ibornne, Middle English jborne, Middle English (1500s–1600s archaic) yborne, Middle English–1600s boorne, Middle English– borne; Scottish pre-1700 bornne, pre-1700 1700s– borne; N.E.D. (1887) also records a form Middle English borine.

b. Weak.

α. English regional (southern) 1700s–1800s borned, 1800s born'd; U.S. regional (chiefly southern and south Midland) 1800s bornd, 1800s– borned, 1900s– barned.

β. U.S. regional (chiefly southern and south Midland) 1800s– bornded.

γ. English regional (Yorkshire) 1900s bear'd; U.S. regional 1900s– beared.

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian bera (West Frisian bernje), Old Dutch beran (Middle Dutch beren), Old Saxon beran (Middle Low German bēren), Old High German beran (Middle High German bern, German regional (Low German) beren, bern), Old Icelandic bera, Old Swedish bæra (Swedish bära), Old Danish bæræ (Danish bære), Gothic bairan, all in senses ‘to carry, to bring, endure, to give birth’ < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit bhṛ-, ancient Greek ϕέρειν, classical Latin ferre, Early Irish beirid (3rd singular indicative), Armenian berem (1st singular indicative), Albanian bie (imperative singular bjer), all in the senses ‘to carry, to bring’, and also (with secondary senses) Welsh †beru to flow, Old Church Slavonic bĭrati to gather, Lithuanian berti to scatter.Form history. In Old English a strong verb of Class IV. In Forms 2a(i)β. and γ. showing analogical extension of the vowel of the past participle (compare Forms 3aα. , γ. , δ. ) to the past tense; compare Forms 3aβ. for occasional examples of the reverse influence. With Forms 3bα. compare born v. and see discussion at that entry. Some instances of prefixed past participles in Old English and early Middle English may represent i-bere v.¹ Since the prefixed verb is considerably less frequent in that period than bear v.¹, the prefixed past participles are covered at this entry. Past participle in standard English. From late Middle English to the 18th cent., there were three competing types of the past participle: (1) bore (compare Forms 3aγ. ); (2) borne , arising from the originally unsyncopated Middle English forms like boren , with the root vowel lengthened in the open syllable (compare Forms 3aδ. ); and (3) born , probably arising from late Middle English borne , syncopated form of the plural borene , where the root vowel remained short (compare Forms 3aα. ). While noted by 16th and 17th-cent. orthoepists, the difference in pronunciation between the two latter types with the long and short vowel was not always reflected in spelling, with both born and borne occurring for either. Generally, the distinction in form did not correlate with a distinction in sense, although a few orthoepists associate the long-vowel type (compare borne ) with senses related to carrying weight, and the short-vowel type (compare born ) with senses related to giving birth. From the second half of the 18th cent., the long-vowel type, by that point consistently spelt as borne , came to be used in standard English as the past participle in all senses of bear v.¹ except in sense 24, where born is used instead. The difference in pronunciation survived in many varieties into the 19th cent. (and regionally later): N.E.D. (1887) gives the pronunciation of borne as (bō^əɹn) /bɔən/, and that of born as (bǭɹn) /bɔːn/ (a distinction that is noted by most 19th-cent. dictionaries). Thus, in modern standard English, forms of born adj. are used in senses that correspond semantically to sense 24, and forms of borne adj.¹ are used in senses that correspond semantically to other senses of the verb. Prefixed forms. In Old English the prefixed form geberan i-bere v.¹ is also attested; compare also aberan abear v., ætberan atbear v., beberan to provide, supply (compare be- prefix), forberan forbear v., foreberan to prefer, to exalt (compare fore- prefix), forþberan forthbear v., oferberan overbear v., onberan to carry off, to diminish (compare on- prefix), oþberan to carry off, to bring (compare oth prep.), tōberan to-bear v., underberan underbear v., ymbberan to surround (compare umbe- prefix). Specific senses. In sense 3c after Middle French porter (compare the French phrase cited at to bear arms at arms n. Phrases 1a). With sense 10 compare Middle French porter in the same sense. With sense 18 compare Middle French, French porter haut to conduct oneself with pride (1577 or earlier). Senses in branches I., II., III. are paralleled by uses in Latin. With sense 22a compare classical Latin ferre in the same sense; with sense 9 compare the corresponding sense in post-classical Latin (6th cent. in British sources).

I. To carry, and extended uses.

(a) transitive. To support the weight of (a person or thing) whilst moving him, her, or it from one place to another; to carry; to transport.Often with prepositional phrase as complement.Now less common than carry, and often used for comic, archaic, or literary effect. N.E.D. (1887) notes: ‘Now usually restricted in prose to the carrying of something weighty or which requires an effort.’

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > transport > [verb (transitive)]

haveeOE

ferryOE

weighOE

bearOE

take?a1160

weve13..

carry1348

passa1350

tow1391

geta1393

convey1393

winc1400

transport1483

set1487

convoy1500

traduce1535

port1566

repair1612

vehiculate1628

transmute1683

transplant1769

gallant1806

transit1859

inveigh1878

waltz1884

sashay1928

conduct-

OE Ælfric Old Eng. Hexateuch: Gen. (Claud.) xxii. 6 Abraham þa het Isaac beran þone wudu to þære stowe.

?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1135 Wua sua bare his byrthen gold & sylure, durste nan man sei to him naht bute god.

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 89 Þat burh folc..beren on here honde blostme.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 3442 After þat he was in þe hors bere ybore.

a1475 Bk. Curtasye (Sloane 1986) l. 113 in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 302 With mete ne bere þy knyfe to mowthe.

1553 J. Withals Shorte Dict. f. 44/1 A wase or wreath to be laied vnder the vessell, that is borne vpon the head, as women vse, cesticillus vel arculus.

1637 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Elder Brother i. ii. sig. C2^v Court admirers..ever eccho him that beares the bagge.

1704 J. Swift Full Acct. Battel between Bks. in Tale of Tub 267 The other half was born by the frighted Steed thro' the Field.

1820 Freeman's Jrnl. (Dublin) 29 Mar. The gallant Colonel was borne from his carriage, on the shoulders of the people, into his mother's house.

1909 Pacific Monthly Feb. 146/1 The burro bore a heavy pack which clung to his back.

2017 Sc. Star (Nexis) 31 Dec. 32 In comes a waitress bearing a tray brimming with homemade fruit scones.

(b) transitive. With adverbs, as about, away, off, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > transference > [verb (transitive)] > convey or transport > carry > about

bearc1475

lump1946

OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Lev. (Claud.) x. 5 Hi eodon sona & bæron hi [sc. bodies] aweg & wurpon hi ut, swa him beboden wæs.

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Domitian A.viii) anno 3 Her Herodes forþferde, & þæt cild Crist wearð geboren agean of Egiptan.

c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 1810 Þe oþre relyqes..þat þou hast away y-born.

c1475 (a1400) J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 307 Þise men ben cloudis wiþ-oute watir, þat ben boren aboute wiþ wyndis.

1592 Arden of Feversham H 2 He..had beene sure to haue had his Signe puld down, & his latice borne away the next night.

a1712 W. King Misc. 27 in Posthumous Wks. (1734) That Part of the Universe where is bred the monstrous Bird called Ruc, that for its Prey will bear off an Elephant in its Talons.

1825 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Aug. 209/1 They, too, were borne across; but the fourth was less fortunate.

2010 Sarasota (Florida) Herald-Tribune (Nexis) 20 June a12 Like a potentate of old being borne about by native boys on an umbrella-covered litter.

b. transitive. Of a woman or other female mammal: to carry (offspring) (in the womb); to be pregnant with. Also intransitive. Cf. sense 24a.In quot. ?a1430 with the womb as subject.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > biology > biological processes > procreation or reproduction > pregnancy or gestation > carry in womb [verb (transitive)]

bearOE

breedc1000

enfaunt1483

carry1561

enwomba1616

expect1800

gestate1866

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xiii. 286 Heo..swa mid geleafan onfeng God on hyre innoðe, & hine bær oð middewintres mæssedæg.

a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 87 Hv mai ðat moder forȝeten ðat child ðe hie bar in hire wombe?

?a1430 Compleynte Virgin (Huntington) l. 44 in Minor Poems T. Hoccleve (1970) i. 1 The wombe blessid was þat beer, And the tetes þat yaf to sowken.

1579 J. Stubbs Discouerie Gaping Gulf sig. Cj^v The state, which can neuer so kindly matriculate him [sc. an alien] as the childe which she hath born in her owne wombe.

1709 I. Littlebury tr. Herodotus Hist. II. vi. 108 Women are not always accustom'd to bear their Children ten Months.

1816 J. Wilson City of Plague i. ii. 138 The wretch who bore them in her womb.

1893 New Educ. Sept. 151/1 A valuable mare or cow, while bearing young, is carefully and judiciously fed, is spared all overwork or excitement.

1983 Hastings Center Rep. 13 30 The mother who begets, bears, and births does not parent.

2019 Emory Wheel (Emory Univ., Atlanta) (Nexis) 24 Apr. 1 Bearing a child she does not want to keep and in need of a place to stay, Deb pleads for Ollie's help.

†c. transitive. With adverb or prepositional phrase as complement. To lift or raise (something) upward; to lift off a surface, etc. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > raising > make to go up or cause to rise [verb (transitive)] > lift or take up

aheaveeOE

to reach upOE

to draw upOE

bearc1225

upnimc1290

to take upc1330

upholda1400

lutchc1400

hovec1480

upweigha1593

lift1596

poise1689

to up with1825

c1225 (?c1200) St. Margaret (Bodl.) (1934) 46 Heo bigon..te cneolin adun, & bliðe wið þeos bone ber on heh iheuen up honden towart heouene.

c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer House of Fame (Fairf. 16) (1878) l. 740 Any thinge that hevy be..bere hyt neuer so hye on hight lat goo thyn hande, hit falleth doun.

1578 J. Banister Hist. Man iv. f. 62 These two muscles baire the hand vpward.

1642 H. More Ψυχωδια Platonica sig. I4^v Fair clustred buildings..with high spires to heaven yborn.

1678 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. v. 95 When he draws back his Saw, the Work-man bears it lightly off the unsawn Stuff.

1813 W. Scott Rokeby v. 209 The beams once more were taught to bear The trembling draw-bridge into air.

†d. intransitive. To carry a burden or burdens. Also with modifying adverb. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > transference > [verb (intransitive)] > carry

bearc1450

carry1587

c1450 (a1425) Metrical Paraphr. Old Test. (Selden) l. 1449 (MED) He gart them beyre and draw.

1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II v. v. 92 Forgiuenes horse why do I raile on thee? Since thou..Wast borne to beare .

1611 Bible (King James) Gen. xlix. 15 He..bowed his shoulder to beare .

1659 J. Howell Brit. Prov. 34/1 in Παροιμιογραϕια The grunting horse bears best.

e. transitive. Backgammon. To remove (a piece) from the board according to a roll of the dice. Also intransitive. Cf. to bear off 2 at Phrasal verbs 1.A player may begin to remove his or her pieces from the board once all of them have been moved onto his or her inner table (table n. 4b).

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > board game > backgammon > [verb (transitive)] > actions

bear1550

point1680

carry1743

1550 J. Heywood Hundred Epigrammes liii. sig. Bviii^v I will no more plaie at tables with the: Whan we come to bearyng, thou begylest me, In bearyng of thy men... Eche other caste thou bearst one man to many.

1748 E. Hoyle Backgammon in Penny Cycl. (1835) III. 240/2 If you bear any number of men, before you entered a man taken up..such men, so borne, must be entered again in your adversary's tables.

1842 Chambers's Information for People (new ed.) II. 551/1 If the adversary is able to bear one before you have bourne all your men, it reduces the victory to a hit.

1997 T. Fitzsimmons & P. Liflander Everything Games Bk. i. 31 The player who first bears all his men from the board wins.

†f. transitive. To take (a person) with oneself. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a companion or associate > accompany or associate with [verb (transitive)]

seeOE

to bear (a person) company (also fellowship, etc.)c1225

mella1300

fellowshipa1382

companya1400

accompany1461

to keep company (with)1502

encompanya1513

to keep (a person) company1517

to take repast1517

assist1553

to take up with1570

rempare1581

to go along with1588

amate1590

bear1590

to fall in1593

consort1598

second1600

to walk (also travel) in the way with1611

comitate1632

associate1644

enhaunt1658

join1713

assort1823

sit1828

companionize1870

to take tea with1888

to knock about with1915

tote1977

fere-

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. iv. sig. C8 After that he had faire Vna lorne..And false Duessa in her sted had borne.

†g. transitive. figurative. To bring as a consequence or necessary adjunct. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > existence and causation > causation > [verb (transitive)] > bring about as a consequence or entail

makeOE

haveOE

drawa1400

to draw inc1405

to leave behind1424

goc1449

to draw on1572

train1579

carry1581

beara1616

to lead toa1770

evolve1816

entail1829

mean1841

issue1842

subinduce1855

a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) i. i. 134 His honesty rewards him in it selfe, It must not beare my Daughter.

1682 ‘Philalethes’ Seasonable Warneing 7 Which collation, as it hes at least a virtuall reordination in the bosome of it..so it beares also takeing of the oath of Canonicall obedience to his Lo[rd].

a. transitive. To bring, deliver (a gift, a letter, a message, etc.), esp. on behalf of another. Also: to bring or pass on (news, intelligence, a rumour, etc.); †to bring news of (something) (obsolete).

ΚΠ

OE Andreas (1932) 1079 Hie þa unhyðige eft gecyrdon, luste belorene, laðspell beran.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 312 Nouðer. ne beore ne ne bringe to heore dame idele talen ne neowe tidinges.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 12378 We sculleð bere þin ærde [c1300 Otho þin herende bere] to Luces ure kaisere.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Man of Law's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 639 Lo here the lettres..That I moot bere with al the haste I may.

c1475 in F. J. Furnivall Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 138 (MED) They..roden owte message to bere.

1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost iv. iii. 15 She hath one a'my Sonnets already, the Clowne bore it, the Foole sent it.

1696 R. Norton Pausanias v. ii. 41 The Ambassadour shall bear the News, He must depart to Night.

1726 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey IV. xvi. 162 To the Queen with speed dispatchful bear Our safe return.

1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward II. ii. 34 He would have borne a letter trustily enough.

1937 M. Mitchell Let. 9 May in Gone with Wind Lett. (1986) 143 I would have loved to hear your voice bearing the glad tidings.

2010 L. Erdrich Shadow Tag 233 Louise and her good-hearted partner come bearing gifts and towing their rescued greyhound.

b. transitive. To carry, bring, or transport (something immaterial); to continue to have (a quality, feature, etc.) as part of oneself as one goes about one's life. Also with about.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > information > rumour > [verb (transitive)] > bear tales or rumours

bearOE

scandalize1490

tattle1593

gossip1611

to give abouta1715

to call the clash1825

OE Order of World 64 Lifgendra gehwam leoht forð biereð bronda beorhtost.

c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 138 Ber þa to him þa ylce costungæ þe he þam ereste men Adam and Euam mid forcostode.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 8516 Somdel toward engelond he ber [a1400 Trin. Cambr. bar] al so is þoȝt.

1585 R. Greene tr. Oration Buriall Gregorie XIII 1 Many a one thinketh himselfe in perfect health, when he beareth death in his bosome.

1655 H. Vane Retired Mans Medit. iv. 45 That they may be enabled to bear light, or the similitude of Christ in his first appearance, unto others, they are first the receivers of that light in themselves.

1768 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. II. 242 The ancestor, during his life, beareth in himself all his heirs.

1828 C. Lamb Confessions of Drunkard (rev. ed.) in Elia 2nd Ser. 204 To bear about the piteous spectacle of his own self-ruins.

1962 C. C. Goen Revivalism & Separatism New Eng. iii. 75 The Canterbury church..bore with it the history of the original church.

2012 B. F. Kawin Horror & Horror Film v. 102 Dracula is himself an old figure who was born and who died hundreds of years ago, bearing in himself the age-old quality, the extension into and continuity with the past, of the aristocracy.

c. transitive. To carry or transport (a disease or pathogen). Cf. borne adj.¹ 1b.

ΚΠ

1842 S. Lover Handy Andy 341 How can you do such a dreadful thing as run the risk of bearing infection into society?

1913 F. Ramaley & C. E. Giffin Prevention & Control Dis. viii. 102 Food, especially milk, frequently bears disease germs, if dust and dirt have been allowed to get into it.

2016 Express (Nexis) 6 May 52 The first Games to be held in South America have been overshadowed by the spread of an infection borne by mosquitos.

a. transitive. To carry (a weapon) upon one's person, esp. visibly. Also: to carry (a symbol of authority, rank, office, etc., or the flag of a particular country or institution), typically for ceremonial reasons. Cf. to bear arms at arms n. Phrases 1a(a), to bear arms against at Phrases 1f.Quot. OE shows the Old English phrase beran gāras togædere, literally ‘to carry spears together’, i.e. to engage each other in battle.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military organization > insignia > carry or wear (insignia) [verb (transitive)]

bearOE

to put up1944

society > armed hostility > military equipment > arming or equipping with weapons > arm or equip [verb (transitive)] > bear (arms)

weighc897

wearc1000

bearOE

the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] > while moving > habitually

bearOE

carryc1400

OE Battle of Maldon (1942) 67 To lang hit him þuhte, hwænne hi togædere garas beron.

a1225 MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 69 Crist..ȝeue us wepne for to boren.

?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 42 Þei beren but o scheld & o spere.

1622 J. Taylor Verry Merry Wherry-ferry-voy. B5^v A Sword, a Cap of maintenance, a Mace..Are borne before the Maior, and Aldermen.

1782 J. Freeth Mod. Songs 30 And (white-wash'd members) every one, That able is to bear a gun,..To India, if no means prevent, To fight the Dutch will soon be sent.

1863 A. P. Stanley Lect. Jewish Church I. v. 109 The staff like that still borne by Arab chiefs.

1911 Daily Mail 29 Mar. 9/7 Sixty flag-bearers—each bearing the flag of a Dominion or Colony, except the scout in the centre, who bore the Union Jack—were posted at six-pace intervals.

2018 @8bWd8 25 Mar. in twitter.com (accessed 26 Feb. 2019) The second amendment clearly was never intended to allow the people of the United States the right to bear weapons of war.

b. transitive. To wear (a garment, a piece of jewellery, etc.).Much less common than wear in later use.

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > wearing clothing > [verb (transitive)]

wearc893

weighc897

beareOE

haveOE

usea1382

to get on1679

sport1778

to stand up in1823

take1868

eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) iv. x. 107 Terrentius..bær hæt on his heafde, for þon Romane hæfdon þa niwlice gesett þæt þa þe hæt beran moston.., þæt þa moston ægþer habban ge feorh ge freodom.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 280 Ichwat swich þet bereð ba togedere heui brunie & here.

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 158 Of smal Coral aboute hir arm she bar A peyre of bedes.

1575 G. Fenton Golden Epist. f. 49 Y^e good or the euil of a monasterie lieth not in the habite, but in the men that bear it.

1638 W. Melvin tr. C. Garcia Sonne of Rogue xiii. 249 The Malletes beare their cloake after a certaine fashion.

1846 J. Black tr. A. W. Schlegel Course Lect. Dramatic Art & Lit. xv. 203 From the figures on Greek vases, we know that the grotesque masks of the Old Comedy bore a dress very much resembling theirs: long trousers, and a doublet with sleeves.

1912 Courier & Argus (Dundee) 3 July One, a carrier pigeon bearing a ring dated 1903, was seated on a nest containing an egg.

2003 Ottawa Citizen (Nexis) 8 Jan. d1 The next order of business will be to determine whether Carter's bust in the Hall of Fame bears a cap representing the Expos or the New York Mets.

c. transitive. To display (a particular heraldic device) on a shield or coat of arms; to be entitled to wear or use (a heraldic device) as a coat of arms. Cf. to bear arms at arms n. Phrases 1a(b).Originally with reference to the use of a heraldic device on a coat or vest, or on a military shield (see coat of arms n. 1) (now historical); later with reference to the use of or entitlement to a heraldic shield or escutcheon (see coat of arms n. 2).

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > exhibit armorial bearings [verb (transitive)]

bearc1400

wear1463

give1548

coat1664

c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 637 (MED) Þe pentangel nwe He ber in schelde & cote.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xvii. l. 238 Fiff hundreth men wicht and worthy, That armys bar of Ancistry.

1599 F. Thynne Animaduersions (1875) 42 The erle of Kent bearethe a wiuer for his Creste and supporters.

1677 R. Izacke Antiq. Exeter Catal. Sheriffs sig. P7 Guido de Bello Campo, bears Gules a Fesse between three crosses botony Or.

1727 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Oeconomique (Dublin ed.) at Bear He that has a Coat of Arms, is said to Bear it in the several Charges or Ordinaries that are in his Escutcheon.

1856 Encycl. Brit. XI. 340/1 Unmarried ladies bear their arms and quarterings (if any) in a lozenge; as also do widows, impaled with those of their deceased husbands.

1956 H. L. Savage Gawain-poet 166 Gawain does bear the golden Star on the red shield. It may be the Étoile of the French kings Jean and Charles.

2002 P. Coss in P. Coss & M. Keen Heraldry, Pageantry, & Soc. Display in Medieval Eng. (2008) 63 William de Chastell bore arms which reflected his name, viz. gules, two bars and a quarter argent, and in the quarter a castle sable.

(a) transitive. To have or display (a visible mark or feature).

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > thing seen > appearance or aspect > have (specific) appearance [verb (transitive)]

beareOE

to look likec1390

showa1425

fantasy?1611

weara1616

strikea1701

to make likea1881

eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) iv. xvi. 299 Cometa..in uhttide wæs upeornende & micelne sciman wæs beorende swa swa scinendes leges [L. excelsam radiantis flammae quasi columnam praeferens].

OE tr. Defensor Liber Scintillarum (1969) iv. 44 Porta quoque semper uerecundiam in uultu de recordatione delicti : ber eac symle sceame on ansyne be gemynde gyltes.

a1333 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 14th Cent. (1924) 20 Vor habbe ich þe and hym Þat markes berþ wyþ hym..Þarf me noþing drede.

c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 1819 (MED) Ho raȝt hym..a starande ston..þat bere blusschande bemez as þe bryȝt sunne.

1600 R. Hakluyt tr. J. Gonzalez de Mendoça in Princ. Navigations (new ed.) III. 394 Many mountaines that beare shewes of mettals.

1790 Poet. Epist. to John Wolcot 15 Thy hypocrisy was well beseeming: You always bore a smile upon your face, Yielding the worst of hearts the best of grace.

1859 C. Darwin Origin of Species iv. 88 Male stag-beetles often bear wounds from the huge mandibles of other males.

1903 F. Simpson Bk. Cat xvii. 208 Real tortoiseshells may be called tricolour cats, for they should bear three colours.., namely black, red, and yellow, in distinct patches or blotches.

2015 Daily Star (Lebanon) (Nexis) 2 July His three-room home still bears the marks of the 1982 Israeli invasion.

(b) transitive. To present or exhibit (a particular outward appearance); to have (a certain look).Recorded earliest in to bear a resemblance (also similarity, likeness, etc.) to (formerly also †of) at Phrases 1g.

ΚΠ

a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 39 Ðanne behoueð ðe..þat tu luuiȝe..aurich mann ðe berð ðin anlicnesse.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) vii. l. 1218 (MED) Piscis..Berth of tuo fisshes the figure.

?1515 Hyckescorner (de Worde) sig. B.i^v Outwarde he bereth a fayre face.

1653 E. Waterhouse Humble Apol. Learning 120 Ignorance and unletterednesse ill becomes any man who bears the Image of God.

1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 4. ⁋8 Falshood..shall hereafter bear a blacker Aspect.

1796 R. Southey Joan of Arc iv. 28 So firm a front They bear in battle.

1867 H. Bushnell Moral Uses Dark Things 188 We have, in our winter, a whole season of the year that bears a look of unbenignity.

1930 Essex Chron. 18 Apr. 9/5 The body was unclothed, and bore the appearance of being washed up by the sea.

2000 J. Aitken Pride & Perjury (2003) iv. 39 As we sat down to coffee he bore the demeanour of a lugubrious provincial undertaker reporting unforeseen difficulties in the arrangements for a family funeral.

b. transitive. To have (a name, title, or designation).In quot. a1225 with reference to the symbolic taking of the name of Christ at baptism.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > naming > give a name to [verb (transitive)] > have or bear (name)

beara1225

weara1586

carry1601

undergo1605

sustain1700

a1225 MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 59 His halie nome we nomen and beren In þe font þer we iclensed weren.

c1400 ( G. Chaucer Treat. Astrolabe (Cambr. Dd.3.53) (1872) ii. §12. 23 After which planete the day berith his name.

a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xiv. 164 All shall hym bowe that berys name In ilk cuntré.

1581 J. Marbeck Bk. Notes & Common Places 341 The Epistle which beareth the title to the Hebrues.

1678 tr. M. Charas Royal Pharmacopœa 214 This Balsom bears the Name of Apoplectick by reason it is a great Remedy against Apoplexies.

1740 J. Campbell Mem. Duke de Ripperda 75 It is agreed, that his Imperial and Catholick Majesty Charles VI. Roman Emperor, and his Catholick Majesty Philip V. King of Spain, and the Indies, shall use during their Lives the Titles they at present bear.

1831 J. Holland Treat. Manuf. Metal I. xv. 269 Immense quantities of wares, bearing in the trade the equivocal designation of run steel, have been daily cast.

1911 Expositor Dec. 213/1 When the neighbors heard that Mary had called the new-born boy Jesus, they did not ask what she meant, for there were other boys that bore the name.

2013 D. Goldberg Universe in Rearview Mirror iii. 99 Heinrich Olbers described the paradox that bears his name in 1823.

c. transitive. To possess or enjoy (recognition, renown, a reputation, etc.). Also: to have (a particular price, value, or worth).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > have or possess [verb (transitive)] > possess a condition or position

haveOE

hold1340

rejoicec1390

beara1393

possess?a1425

acquire1474

pack1925

society > trade and finance > monetary value > [adjective]

wortheOE

beara1393

valuable1539

money-worth1601

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 1900 (MED) Surquiderie..wolde bere a pris Above alle othre.

a1450 Seven Sages (Cambr. Dd.1.17) (1845) l. 72 The fyfte mayster..That of wisdom bare grete loos.

1588 A. Munday Banqvet Daintie Conceits sig. E3^v The sweetest face..and highest head..Beare no more reckoning then the poorest slaue.

1707 London Gaz. No. 4366/2 After the Recoinage, each Piece of Money is to receive a Denomination much above the..Value it bears at present.

1816 W. Kirby & W. Spence Introd. Entomol. (1828) I. 331 It..is exported to India, where it bears a high price.

a1845 T. Hood Recipe for Civilization in Wks. (1871) 298 That which bears the praise of nations.

1993 L. Tamura Hood River Issei xxii. 148 Hood River normally bore a reputation for a high degree of tolerance.

d. transitive. Of an investment, loan, etc.: to have (interest or a specified rate of interest) stipulated in its terms.Perhaps sometimes coloured by the idea of yielding a profit; cf. branch III.

ΚΠ

1686 W. Penn Information Persons inclined to Amer. 3 In Ireland, money bears the Interest of ten per cent.

1710 London Gaz. No. 4658/2 The Blank Tickets bear seven per Cent. Interest.

1813 J. M. Good et al. Pantologia at Loans The disadvantage which might arise to the stockholder from being paid off at par, if his principal bore a high rate of interest, has always made those who advance money on loans prefer a large capital bearing a low rate per cent.

1917 Investm. Weekly 26 Jan. 11/1 For the first two years the bonds bore interest at 4 per cent. noncumulative.

2012 U. Reifner & M. Schröder Usury Laws Pref. p. i The principle of Usura in the Roman ius communis as well as in canonic law started from the assumption that money lent from others should not bear interest.

5. transitive. Of a person or other animal: to have (an appendage, organ, etc.) as part of the body. Also of a part of the body: to have (an appendage).Also in contexts where the object is in figurative or extended use, for example in quots. OE, 1708.See also to bear a brain at brain n. Phrases 2b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > the body > part of body > have as part [verb (transitive)]

bearOE

wear1513

OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Hatton) (1900) ii. Pref. 94 Se of þære tide his cnihthades wæs berende ealdlice heortan & oferstah his ylde mid godum þeawum.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 150 Þe vicorne..bereð on his nase þe þorn.

a1300 (?c1200) Prov. Alfred (Jesus Oxf.) (1955) 115 Þurh hokede honde þat he bereþ, him-seolue he for-vareþ.

c1390 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 14th Cent. (1924) 142 (MED) Vche creatur þat beres bon and blood.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) i. ii. 311 Seruants..that bare eyes To see alike mine Honor, as their Profits.

1708 A. Hill tr. Ovid in N. Tate & A. Hill tr. Ovid Celebrated Speeches Ajax & Ulysses 12 I bear the Blood of Jove as well as he.

1825 J. W. Lake in Ld. Byron Compl. Wks. I. p. xlii Every man who bears a heart within his bosom, of whatever sect, party, or nation, he may be, must warmly sympathize with the struggles of the regenerated children of Greece.

1911 Irish Naturalist 20 30 The femora of the walking legs bear a number of hair carrying prominences.

2007 L. M. Chiappe Glorified Dinosaurs v. 156/1 These Chinese bony-tailed birds still bore three clawed fingers—which probably projected from the outline of their asymmetrically feathered wing.

a. transitive. To experience, entertain (an idea, feeling, or emotion); to hold on to, harbour (a feeling, esp. a negative one). Often with against, towards, etc., a person or thing. Also with double object, e.g. quot. 1832.to bear (a person) a grudge, to bear malice, etc.: see the final element.

ΚΠ

OE Guthlac A 170 He in gæste bær heofoncundne hyht, hælu geræhte ecan lifes.

lOE Homily (Corpus Cambr. 303) in J. Bazire & J. E. Cross Eleven Old Eng. Rogationtide Homilies (1989) 63 Þær sceal ælc þære manne inne beon beseanct mid sawle and mid lichamen þe nið bereð wið his broðer oððe wið nyttan freond.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 4454 Tu ne sla nan oþerr mann Wiþþ hande ne wiþþ herrte... Forr ȝiff þu beresst hete. & niþ. Ȝæn aniȝ lif. & sawle..Himm haffst tu slaȝenn witerrliȝ. Wiþþ herrte. & nohht wiþþ hande.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 1069 Vntil his broþer nith [Gött. ire] he bare.

1598 R. Grenewey tr. Tacitus Annales iv. ix. 103 She beareth the minde to passe the rest of her life with a Gentleman of Rome.

1726 J. Swift Gulliver II. iii. ii. 27 The Contempt they bear to practical Geometry.

1832 Museum of Foreign Lit. Sept. 232/1 To prove that he bore her no ill-will on that account, he bought a little present.

1881 J. S. Neish Byways 12 We may be sure those who bore a grudge against the ‘Nons’ rubbed their hands with ecstacy over the scandal.

1933 A. G. Macdonell England, their England (1983) 152 A young Harvard lepidopterist, who had fled to the wilds of Upper Burma in order to try to forget the passionate love which he bore for Miss Norma Talmadge.

2015 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 13 Mar. (Sport section 92) He said he bore no resentment towards the club over his 2007 departure.

b. transitive. To feel and show (respect, reverence, loyalty, etc.) to, towards, or unto a person or thing. Also with double object, e.g. quot. 1799. Now rare.See also to bear faith at faith n. 1a.In early use also with indirect object implied.

ΚΠ

OE Cynewulf Juliana 29 Hio in gæste bær halge treowe, hogde georne þæt hire mægðhad mana gehwylces fore Cristes lufan clæne geheolde.

a1300 in C. Brown Eng. Lyrics 13th Cent. (1932) 129 Holiday þov hold ful wel, ffader and Moder wrschepe ber.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iv. l. 1376 (MED) These ar of tho that whilom were Servantz to love and trowthe beere.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 12096 Ye ber him right nan au [Gött., Trin. Cambr. awe].

1455–6 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. July 1455 §20. m. 24 The feith, liegeaunce and duetee, that God knoweth we bere unto youre highnesse.

1556 tr. A. Mainardi Anatomi ii. f. 215^v Austen..sayth in sentence that he beareth this honoure towards the Canonicall bokes of the scripture, that he beleueth seurly that no one of them hath erred.

1652 Speech of Col. John Sares (title page) What a gallant mourning Ribbon is this, which I wear for the true Loyalty I bear to my King.

1728 E. Chambers Cycl. Tetradites, in Antiquity, a Name given to several different Sects of Hereticks, out of some particular Respect they bore to the Number four.

1799 tr. I. Kant Metaphysic of Morals II. 50 Reverence, which I bear others, or which another may require of me.., is the agnizing of a dignity in other men.

1860 Birmingham Council Proc. 19 Jan. 98 In humble testimony of the affectionate regard we bear towards your Royal Highnesses, we offer for your gracious acceptance some specimens of the Manufactures of our Borough.

2018 @PJkelly66 9 Mar. in twitter.com (accessed 15 Oct. 2019) If a player wants to play for the country he's a citizen of and bears allegiance to then he can.

a. transitive. To possess inherently (a quality, attribute, power, or capacity); to have and display as an essential characteristic. Cf. to bear life at Phrases 1h. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > manifestation > [verb (transitive)]

uppec897

atewOE

sutelec1000

openOE

awnc1175

kithec1175

forthteec1200

tawnec1220

let witc1275

forthshowa1300

to pilt out?a1300

showa1300

barea1325

mythc1330

unfoldc1374

to open outc1390

assign1398

mustera1400

reyve?a1400

vouchc1400

manifest?a1425

outshowc1425

ostendc1429

explayc1443

objecta1500

reveala1500

patefy?1509

decipher1529

relieve1533

to set outa1540

utter1542

report1548

unbuckle1548

to set forth1551

demonstrate1553

to hold forth1560

testify1560

explicate1565

forthsetc1565

to give show of1567

denudec1572

exhibit1573

apparent1577

display?1578

carry1580

cipher1583

laya1586

foreshow1590

uncloud?1594

vision1594

explain1597

proclaim1597

unroll1598

discloud1600

remonstrate1601

resent1602

to bring out1608

palesate1613

pronounce1615

to speak out1623

elicit1641

confess1646

bear1657

breathe1667

outplay1702

to throw out1741

evolve1744

announce1781

develop1806

exfoliate1808

evince1829

exposit1882

pack1925

OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 135 Hi synd eac gecwedene gervndia of ðam worde gero ic bere, forðan ðe hi berað manega andgytu.

c1390 (c1303) R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Vernon) (1892) i. 216 (MED) Sum wicche-craft I trouwe þou bere, þat þi bondes þe not dere.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 2682 Circumcising Bers in it-self gret for-biseyng.

c1475 (c1445) R. Pecock Donet (1921) 127 Whanne euer eny dede is forboden for eny special grounde boren in it.

1657 R. Baxter Certain Disputations Rights to Sacraments i. 26 Else we must deny credit to that which beareth plain Evidence of Credibility.

1714 tr. Familiar Instr. Predestination & Grace 110 That Prelate..actually bears that Quality, which the Legend expressly Remarks to belong to him.

1879 G. F. Maclear Celts v. 79 Another..incident, which bears internal evidence of high antiquity.

2012 Afr. News (Nexis) 29 Dec. It is a celebration of excellence, bearing courage and the can-do mind set of a typical Ondo person.

b. transitive. Of a thing: to have (a relation, correspondence, etc.) to something else.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > relationship > relate to [verb (transitive)]

haveeOE

toucha1325

to have respect to (formerly also unto)a1398

connex?1541

report1548

bear1556

respect1614

to stand to ——1634

owe1644

connect1751

to tie in1958

1556 R. Record Castle of Knowl. 59 The lengthe of the Tropike dothe beare the same proportion to the Equinoctiall, as 11 doth to 12.

1690 J. Locke Ess. Humane Understanding ii. xxviii. 168 Nothing finite, bears any proportion to infinite.

1841 T. B. Macaulay Warren Hastings in Edinb. Rev. Oct. 172 His mind bears a singular analogy to his body.

1863 H. Fawcett Man. Polit. Econ. ii. v. 194 The ratio which population bears to capital.

2015 V. Forrester tr. J. Gladding Virginia Woolf i. 53 The scene bears no relation to the rest of the novel.

8. transitive. To exercise (power or influence). Also: to hold (an office, rank, or position). Now rare.In quot. OE apparently in sense ‘to hold (a specified position)’, perhaps with contextual connotations of sense 12.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > [verb (transitive)]

wieldeOE

bearOE

rulea1393

sway1575

carry1598

OE Glosses to Boethius (Corpus Cambr. 214) in W. C. Hale Edition & Codicol. Study CCCC MS 214 (Ph.D. diss., Univ. Pennsylvania) (1978) 282 Tu quoque num tandem tot periculis adduci potuisti ut cum decuriato gerere magistratum putares : þu eac swylce quysþu æt nextan mid swa feala frecennyssum bon togelæd mihtesðu þæt mid þam besciredan beran oþþe adreohan lareowdom þu wendest.

c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 2292 Sire Geffreies child bi riȝte lawe of londe, Scholde habbe ibore the heritage.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 6949 (MED) Quen aaron was ded..His sun..bar state of his fader-hade [a1400 Trin. Cambr. his fadris astate he bere].

1504 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VII (Electronic ed.) Parl. Jan. 1504 §3. m. 4 Also it is enacted..that no marchaunt now beyng of oure seid staple..bere eny voyce, ne have eny saynges in eny courte.

1650 R. Stapleton tr. F. Strada De Bello Belgico ii. 29 That they should bear all the sway.

1743 Ess. Civil Govt. i. iii. 128 It discovers an impotence of mind, unable to bear power without being intoxicated with its efects.

1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 671 Those great Celtic houses, which..bore rule in Ulster.

1935 Cornishman 28 Nov. 5/2 A story which tells of progress, and with it added responsibilities laid upon the shoulders of those who bear office.

2007 Red Deer Express (Alberta) (Nexis) 3 Jan. 2 A multiplicity of convoluted storylines and reciprocal barbs surely factored into the city's change of heart, but in the end, two compelling issues bore sway.

9. transitive. To give (written or oral testimony or evidence); (figurative) to provide or constitute (evidence or proof). Often with to.to bear evidence, to bear record, to bear witness: see the nouns.Recorded earliest in to bear witness at witness n. Phrases 2.

ΚΠ

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1127 He wæs an hæfod ða að to swerene & witnesse to berene þær ða eorles sunu of Normandi & þes eorles dohter of Angeow wæron totwemde.

?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1865) I. 77 As hit is..seide, Paradise..hathe securite to the whiche seyenge the altitude of the place berrethe testimonye.

1534 J. Fewterer tr. U. Pinder Myrrour Christes Passion f. lxxx^v For that cause I came into this worlde: that I might bere testimony and witnes to the truthe.

1691 T. Tryon Pythagoras his Mystick Philos. Reviv'd xi. 205 The current of the Scripture bears Testimony to a greater Light to break forth in the latter dayes.

1782 W. Cowper Poems 268 Poring on thy page, whose ev'ry line Bears proof of an intelligence divine.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 508 Titles..against which he had often borne his testimony.

1914 H. V. O'Brien New Men for Old 46 It was a scene set on high to bear testament that the God of Beauty was still in his heaven.

2008 Church Times 9 May 25/1 His oratorios, choral sequences, and partsongs bear testimony to his passion for amateur music-making.

10. transitive (reflexive). To conduct oneself, behave (in a specified manner). Formerly also without complement: †to behave properly, conduct oneself well (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > behave or conduct oneself [verb (reflexive)]

wieldOE

leadc1175

bear?c1225

steera1250

to take onc1275

contain1297

to shift one's handa1300

demeanc1320

guyc1325

govern1340

keep1362

havec1390

rulec1390

guide14..

conceivea1425

maintain?a1425

maynea1425

behavec1440

disporta1450

orderc1487

use1497

handle?1529

convey1530

gesture1542

treat1568

carry1584

deport1598

bestow1606

comport1616

mienc1680

conduct1706

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 2 Hu me schal beoren him wið.

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 796 Which of yow þ^tbereth hym best of alle.

?c1500 Conversion of St. Paul (Digby) l. 524 Who-so in pride beryth hym to hye, with mysheff [emended in ed. to myscheff] shalbe mekyd.

1593 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie ii. vii. 133 Who beare them selues bold vpon humaine authoritie.

1658 tr. J. Ussher Ann. World 163 Clearchus..bearing himself for a Tyrant of Byzantium.

1754 Bp. T. Sherlock Disc. (1759) I. ix. 257 A Man may bear himself so well in Disguise, as not to be discovered.

1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 618 The latest generations would know how..he had borne himself.

2006 Mail on Sunday (Nexis) 31 Dec. 27 The condemned man bore himself with dignity and calmly refused a blindfold.

II. To support or hold up, and related senses.

* To support, sustain, or endure.

11.

a. transitive. To support or sustain (a physical weight or strain).Often (and in earliest use) in figurative contexts; cf. sense 12.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] > a weight or pressure (of so much)

bearOE

sustainc1405

support1578

OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xx. 12 Þas ytemestan worhton ane tide & þu dydest hig gelice us þe bæron byrþena on þises dæges hætan.

a1425 J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1869) I. 66 Þei shal bere..the wiȝte of þe olde lawe.

c1475 (c1399) Mum & Sothsegger (Cambr. Ll.4.14) (1936) i. l. 41 (MED) The braunchis aboue boren grett charge.

c1550 in J. G. Dalyell Scotish Poems 16th Cent. (1801) II. 160 Our seiknes on thy back thou bure.

1649 J. Goodwin Ὑβριστοδίκαι: Obstructours of Justice 86 That confessionate strain of David unto God, tibi soli peccavi, Against the,, thee onely have I sinned, is too sandy a foundation to bear the weight of such a tower as we speak of.

1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §246 Proportionate in every part to the stress it was likely to bear.

1849 J. Ruskin Seven Lamps Archit. ii. 34 For the shafts do, indeed, bear as much as they are ever imagined to bear.

1915 N.Y. Teachers Monogr. May 150/1 The older boys had already found the ice too weak to bear even the smallest among them.

2002 M. Punke Revenant (2015) 134 His leg could bear the full weight of his body.

b. intransitive. To support or sustain a physical weight or strain; spec. †(a) Building (of a piece of timber) to withstand a strain along its length while supported only at each end (obsolete); (b) (of ice) to support the weight of a person, etc., without breaking.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > industry > building or constructing > that which is built or constructed > [verb (intransitive)] > stand strain without support

bear1660

the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (intransitive)] > bear weight (of ice)

bear1768

1660 Public Intelligencer No. 214. 1057 The Ice in the Belt doth not bear yet, which makes us think that we need not fear attempts of the enemy from thence.

1667 Act 19 Charles II c. 3 in Coll. Statutes Reigns of King Charles I. & King Charles II. 315 That no Ioysts bear at longer length then Ten Foot.

1679 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. viii. 140 Joysts are seldome made to Beare at above ten foot in length.

1768 G. Washington Diary (1925) I. 246 Attempted to go into the Neck on the Ice, but it wd. not bear.

1833 Chambers' Edinb. Jrnl. 28 Dec. 381/2 [He] succeeded in forming a curling rink weeks before the ice would bear in any other quarter.

1917 O. Viney Let. 27 Dec. in E. V. Lucas Post-Bag Diversions (1934) 58 We cycled to Hartwell lake..as we heard that it was bearing.

1996 Weekend Tel. 10 Feb. 3/6 That meant only one thing: a trip into the Fens to see if the ice would bear.

c. transitive. With adverb or prepositional phrase as complement. Of a fixed structure: to support, hold up (a person or thing) moving across or over a body of water, road, valley, or other obstacle or gap.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] > something going across

bear1703

1703 T. Brown et al. Contin. Lett. from Dead to Living (new ed.) 263 If any Beau wants a Bridge to bear him over a dirty Channel, a Player lies down instead of a Plank.

1813 Daily National Intelligencer (Washington) 12 Apr. He sprang upon the ice which giving way let him down to his middle in water—he scrambled up however upon the unbroken ice, which bore him across.

1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. §11. 75 Finding a bridge which bore us across the crevasse.

2016 Kingston (Ont.) Whig-Standard (Nexis) 15 July a1 The Ogdensburg airport is located 75 minutes east of Kingston along Highway 401 and across the international bridge that bears travellers over the St. Lawrence River.

12. transitive. To take on (a duty or charge, esp. a financial one); to be responsible for; formerly also with †out. Also: to assume, be given, or have attributed to one (responsibility, blame, guilt, etc.).

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > payment > pay money or things [verb (transitive)] > pay (a claim, dues, or charge)

doOE

bearOE

payc1300

content1433

answer1471

recontenta1525

sustain1530

even1619

settle1688

foot1819

OE Wulfstan Canons of Edgar (Junius) (1972) lxviii. 19 Gif man gehadodne mid fæhðe belecge.., ladige mid his magum þe fæhða motan mid beran oððe fore betan.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 7775 To bere þeruore a certein rente bi ȝere.

1439 in F. J. Furnivall Fifty Earliest Eng. Wills (1882) 125 Certayne annuities borne oute of hem [sc. thos two maners].

c1450 (?c1400) tr. Honorius Augustodunensis Elucidarium (1909) 18 (MED) Whi sent not god aungel to bere his gilt?

1529 T. More in W. B. Scoones Four Cent. Eng. Lett. (1880) 12 There shall no poore neighbour..bere no losse.

1606 G. W. tr. Justinus Hist. 24 a Darius..promised to beare out the whole charges of those Warres.

1792 H. H. Brackenridge Mod. Chivalry (1937) I. i. 33 He might make himself easy; for be the matter as it might, he would take care that Teague should..bear the blame.

1878 N. Devon Jrnl. 7 Nov. 2/1 The Porrett warming apparatus was the gift of Mrs. Humphreys,..who also bore the cost of fixing it.

1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day iii. 48 My father bore the brunt of this man's furious complaints.

2014 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 18 Dec. 48/4 John D. Rockefeller Jr. bore ultimate responsibility for what came to be known as ‘the Ludlow Massacre’.

13.

a. transitive. To suffer (pain, hardship, or adversity) without being overcome or overwhelmed; to endure or resist (something) without giving in; to withstand; to cope with. Formerly also with †away, †out.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > be constant or steadfast [verb (intransitive)] > endure without giving way

bearOE

sustaina1382

dreec1400

to bear, hold tack1580

to stick out1677

to tough it (out)1830

to keep (carry, have) a stiff upper lip1837

to take it (or life) on the chin1928

to hang in1969

the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > oppose [verb (transitive)] > resist > maintain resistance against

to stand before ——OE

bearOE

tholec1175

sustainc1330

last1340

suffera1387

support1483

outstand1571

hold1592

to hold outa1616

ridea1649

brunt1800

to stand up to1921

OE Regularis Concordia (Tiber.) (1993) lxv. 135 Dum senserit se nimia inualituditudine [read inualitudine] pregrauari ita ut iam non possit portari, veniat frater ille ante abbatem : þænne he ongyt hine mid swiþlicre untrumnysse beon gehefegudne swa þæt he [perhaps read heo] eallunga na mæge beon boren cume broþor se toforan þam abbude.

a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 1587 Þe eorþe ne miȝte bere þi deþ.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 15618 Him..þat baret for yow bare.

1526 Bible (Tyndale) John xvi. f. cxlv I have yet many thynges to saye vnto you: but ye cannot beare them awaye nowe.

1574 A. Golding tr. A. Marlorat Catholike Expos. Reuelation 17 Blessed is the man that beareth out temptation.

1611 Bible (King James) Gen. iv. 13 My punishment is greater then I can beare .

1747 H. Glasse Art of Cookery ix. 81 Make it as hot as you can bear your Finger in it.

1855 Ladies' Compan. Apr. 198/1 Whether his savage nature could no longer bear the pangs of hunger, and he had turned upon and murdered one or other of his feeble comrades..must remain conjecture.

1901 Philadelphia Med. Jrnl. 26 Oct. 680/2 In 6 cases of myocarditis in which it was necessary to give ether, he has found that, as a rule they bore it well, although in some instances it was necessary to abandon the operation on account of threatened collapse.

2017 Telegraph (India) (Nexis) 1 Oct. His family alleged he had killed himself as he could not bear the stress.

(a) transitive. To endure (a person, thing, situation, or circumstance) without opposition or resistance; to allow, sanction; to accept without complaint. Also with infinitive or clause as object. Also intransitive. Chiefly in negative contexts.Cf. to grin and bear it at grin v.² 3, to bear and forbear at forbear v. 8c.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > calmness > patience > endure patiently [verb (transitive)] > bear with or tolerate

forbearc897

tholec950

bearOE

abidec1300

bidea1325

takec1330

suffer1340

wielda1375

to have patience with (also in, toward)c1384

supportc1384

to sit with ——c1400

sustainc1400

thulgec1400

acceptc1405

to away with1528

brook1530

well away1533

to bear with —1538

digest1553

to comport with1565

stand1567

purse?1571

to put up1573

well away1579

comport1588

fadge1592

abrook1594

to come away1594

to take up with1609

swallow1611

embracea1616

to pack up1624

concocta1627

to set down bya1630

to take with ——1632

tolerate1646

brook1658

stomach1677

pouch1819

OE Ælfric Let. to Wulfsige (Corpus Cambr.) in B. Fehr Die Hirtenbriefe Ælfrics (1914) 1 Ic secge eow preostum, þæt ic sylf nelle beran eowre gymeleaste on eowrum þeowdome.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 12991 Na langer Mai i nu þi wicked wordes ber.

1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. xxvi. 37 The kyng myght no longer bear by his honour the iniuryes and wronges.

1659 T. Burton Diary (1828) IV. 49 I say not but the army will bear, that you sit to levy money.

1706 N. Rowe Ulysses i. i. 230 My Lords, this Railer is not to be born.

1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 26 The public would not have borne to see any Papist among the servants of their Majesties.

1908 B. Stoker Lady Athelyne (2007) xxii. 248 The tone was so peremptory and so ‘superior’ that any man to whom it had been used might well have taken offence; but Athlyne was already schooled to bear.

2018 @emmabclarke 23 June in twitter.com (accessed 4 Mar. 2019) I can't bear it. The country won't bear it. Millions of people feel politically homeless. MPs need to find some courage—fast.

(b) transitive. In weakened sense, in negative, interrogative, or hypothetical contexts. To put up with, tolerate, abide (a person or thing); to reconcile oneself to. Chiefly with can or can't. Cf. abear v. 2.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > absence of resistance > accept without resistance [verb (transitive)] > put up with or become reconciled to

bear1540

reconcile1543

to take up with1609

to come to terms1860

to live with ——1937

1540 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Catonis Disticha Moralia f. 31 One couetouse persone can not beare another.

1697 J. Vanbrugh Æsop iii A crab-fish once her daughter told..She could not bear to see her go, Sidle, sidle, to and fro.

1710 Tatler No. 219. ⁋4 There is no reasonable Man can bear him half an Hour.

1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice I. xv. 160 The man whom she could not bear to speak of.

1866 Aunt Judy's Mag. Oct. 357 He thought he should never be able to bear the sight of plum pudding and raspberry cream again.

1953 V. Bell Sel. Lett. (1993) 537 I can't bear such occasions but I can't get out of it.

2012 Austral. Financial Rev. (Nexis) 3 Nov. 44 I often encountered that superior, ‘oh how can you bear it’ (i.e. the heat, the pollution, the traffic and crowds).

c. transitive. Simply: to experience, undergo (something, esp. something unpleasant or distressing); to suffer (something).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > adversity > suffer (adversity or affliction) [verb (transitive)]

thave835

i-dreeeOE

tholec897

abeareOE

underbearc950

adreeOE

dreeOE

driveOE

i-tholeOE

throwOE

underfoc1000

bearOE

bidec1200

suffera1250

abidec1275

drinka1340

endure1340

underfong1382

receivec1384

abyea1393

sustain1398

finda1400

undergoa1400

get?c1430

underganga1470

ponder?a1525

a dog's lifea1528

tolerate1531

to stand to ——1540

to feel the weight of?1553

enjoy1577

carry1583

abrook1594

to stand under ——a1616

to fall a victim to1764

the mind > emotion > suffering > suffer mental pain [verb (transitive)]

thave835

i-dreeeOE

tholec897

underbearc950

adreeOE

dreeOE

driveOE

i-tholeOE

throwOE

underfoc1000

bearOE

takec1175

bidec1200

suffera1250

leadc1330

drinka1340

endure1340

wielda1375

underfong1382

receivec1384

sustain1398

finda1400

undergoa1400

underganga1470

ponder?a1525

tolerate1531

to go through ——1535

to feel the weight of?1553

enjoy1577

carry1583

abrook1594

OE tr. Defensor Liber Scintillarum (1969) ii. 24 Qui uitae futurae premia..excogitat, mala omnia uitae presentis equanimiter portat : se þe lifes towerdes meda..geþencð, yfelu ealle lifes andwerdes emlice he byrð.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 3616 Ȝuw birrþ berenn bliþeliȝ Þeowwdom off ȝure laferrd.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 33 He ne may no þing bere be boȝsamnesse.

a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Fox, Wolf, & Cadger l. 2182 in Poems (1981) 71 Thre battis he bure, or he his feit micht find.

c1580 Amadis of Gaule 273 This great sorow that I beare and suffer.

1715 A. Pope tr. Homer Iliad I. i. 270 The Wrongs I bear From Atreus' Son.

1816 J. Wilson City of Plague ii. ii. 118 A melancholy pleasant to be borne.

1870 W. Morris Earthly Paradise I. i. 281 That we can bear such things and yet not die.

2009 Ottawa Citizen (Nexis) 30 July f4 Please inform ‘Daddy's’ wife that what she felt so many years ago is nothing compared to the sadness that ‘Gina’ will bear throughout her life.

14.

a. transitive. To hold up against, sustain (a source of strain) successfully; †to stand to be subjected to a particular action (obsolete). Also (and now chiefly) figurative: to withstand (criticism, scrutiny, etc.); to stand up to (comparison) with.

ΚΠ

?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xxx Lx. mares..able to beare the hors.

1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xxiv. 33 Thy great imployment Will not beare question.

1762 W. Falconer Shipwreck ii. 21 The Ship no longer can her top-sails bear.

1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §137 The cable..would scarcely have borne to have been heaved up.

1932 Courier & Advertiser (Dundee) 18 Jan. 3/2 Many of his figures won't bear criticism.

1997 Daily Tel. (Sydney) (Nexis) 11 June 69 With international rugby dotted with spectacular fullbacks, dasher Sadourny bears comparison with any of them.

2018 i (Nexis) 8 Oct. 35 As always, the actual science in the fiction didn't bear close scrutiny.

b. transitive. To admit of, allow; to be fit or suitable for; to warrant. Often with present participle as object. Cf. not to bear thinking about (also on, of, upon) at Phrases 2d.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > possibility > allow, admit of [verb (transitive)]

suffera1400

to give leave?a1513

admita1538

endure1593

bear1597

thole1770

1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke iii. 181 This kind [of musicke] will beare any allowances whatsoeuer tolerable in other musick, except changing the ayre & leauing the key.

a1643 Visct. Falkland Reply in Disc. Infallibility (1651) 214 Why doth she not expresse her exceptions, or at least tell us, that the rule is not so generall, but that it will beare some.

1849 J. Ruskin Seven Lamps Archit. i. 25 It is not less the boast of some styles that they can bear ornament.

1861 Amer. Agriculturist July 205/2 The recipe..is good enough..to bear repeating, and we can warrant it to contain no injurious ingredients.

1939 Atlanta Daily World 3 Apr. 2/2 A trio of piano, guitar and clarinet known only as ‘Three's a Crowd’ will bear watching.

2016 Sunday Independent (Ireland) (Nexis) 18 Sept. 16 This record has given rise to the notion that Mayo ‘bottle it’ on the big day. It's an accusation which bears investigation.

†15. intransitive. To withstand examination, stand up to scrutiny; (hence) to be acceptable. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > testing > proof, demonstration > prove, demonstrate [verb (intransitive)] > be proved to be

provec1300

verifya1387

approve1587

improve1612

bear1710

to turn up1756

to turn out1780

wash1849

1710 R. Steele Tatler No. 200 If the Matter bears, I shall not be unjust to his Merit.

1737 D. Waterland Rev. Doctr. Eucharist 112 The Argument will not bear in the View before mentioned.

1741 S. Richardson Pamela III. xxxii. 227 We are going into Personals again, Gentlemen..And that won't bear.

** To support, keep up, or maintain. Cf. to bear up at Phrasal verbs 1.

16.

a. transitive. To hold (a person or thing) up and prevent him, her, or it from falling or sinking; to support, keep up.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)]

to bear upeOE

underbearc950

bearOE

holdc1000

weighc1200

to hold up1297

upholda1300

sustainc1330

undersetc1330

comforta1382

underbear1382

upbear1390

sustaina1398

upkeepc1412

carrya1425

supporta1425

chargea1500

convey1514

avoke1529

confirm1542

stay1548

to carry up1570

bolster1581

lift1590

upstay1590

atlas1593

sustent1605

statuminatea1628

firm1646

appui1656

establish1664

shoulder1674

to keep up1681

upheave1729

withhold1769

the world > space > relative position > support > support oneself [verb (reflexive)]

bear1684

steady1848

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xl. 339 On eorðlicere cyrcan lið stan ofer stane, and ælc berð oþerne.

1684 R. Waller tr. Ess. Nat. Exper. Acad. del Cimento 50 The Water..may fill about half the Ball, that the Fishes may move, and bear themselves thereon.

a1752 R. Erskine Job's Hymns (1753) 71 No pillars bear the fabric grand, But just his will and care.

1917 G. H. Shepard Applic. Efficiency Princ. vii. 87 He finds that the water bears him with practically no effort on his part, and that the stroke is of only secondary importance.

2012 J. Ten Have-De Labije & R. J. Neborsky Mastering Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy iv. 88 Do you sometimes have diarrhoea?..The idea that your legs will not bear you?

†b. transitive. To cause a horse to hold up (its head) by using a tight rein. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > transport > riding on horse (or other animal) > ride (a horse or other animal) [verb (transitive)] > control with reins > hold up horse's head with rein

bear1566

1566 T. Blundeville Order curing Horses Dis. f. 32^v in Fower Offices Horsemanshippe Let him..be ridden two or thre Myles abrode, by such a one as will beare his heade, and make him to bring it in.

1608 A. Wotton Trial Romish Clergies Title to Church 344 Shall I be carelesse in bearing my horse head, and holding him vp from falling, because I am sure he treads neuer a sure step, but will stumble or trip continually, do the best I can?

17. transitive. Music. To add or sustain in a supportive role (the burden or low undersong of a melody). Also in extended use. Cf. burden n. 9. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > sing [verb (transitive)] > sing specific part

bearc1405

second1595

treble1606

organizea1699

undertone1873

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 673 This Somonour baar to hym a styf burdoun.

1651 Bp. J. Hall Susurrium cum Deo lxix. 253 Who hath heard..the Bittern bearing her base in the coldest Moneths?

1753 Country Gentleman's Compan. II. i. 6 Large dogs..must as it were bear the Base in the Concert.

1813 W. Scott Rokeby v. vii. 215 A manly voice..Bare burthen to the music well.

1936 Folk-lore 47 150 The central body of dancers is also the chorus, which, while dancing, bears the burden of the song.

†18. transitive (reflexive). To exalt, raise, or promote oneself on the strength of a specified status, circumstance, etc.; to presume on or upon. Also intransitive in same sense. Obsolete.Chiefly in collocation with high.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > be ranked socially [verb (intransitive)]

bear?1529

state1592

society > society and the community > social class > accord social rank to [verb (transitive)] > elevate or raise to a higher position

raisec1175

elevate1509

amount1523

bear?1529

advance?1566

elate1578

prelate1626

hitch1805

the mind > emotion > pride > overweening or presumption > be overweening or presumptuous [verb (reflexive)]

relievea1382

presumec1425

pressc1480

bear1603

?1529 R. Hyrde tr. J. L. Vives Instr. Christen Woman ii. ix. sig. H.ii Ther be some women that beare them selfe high of other folkes honore.

1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 894 The Spaniards bearing themselues vpon their wealth, were too proud.

1641 Naunton's Fragmenta Regalia sig. A4 The Gent. (bearing high on my Lords favor).

1756 F. Warner Eccl. Hist. Eng. I. v. 335 The bishop of Winchester..bore himself high on these distinctions.

†19. transitive. To support or endorse (a person) in a course of action. Also reflexive: to defend oneself, be one's own advocate. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > [verb (transitive)] > support or stand by

sustainc1325

bear1535

to stand or fall1535

shoulder1577

1535 N. Shaxton in J. Strype Eccl. Memorials (1721) I. ii. App. lxi. 150 If yee..bear the Abbot in his evil dealing that he may escape..see yee thereto.

1567 J. Jewel Def. Apol. Churche Eng. ii. xii. 226 Touchinge your vncourteous speache, I weigh it none otherwise, but as it is. The Truthe wilbe hable euermore to beare it selfe.

1660 G. Whitehead True Ministers 5 No other power will own you, nor bear you in your practises.

*** To hold or have on the surface, and extended uses.

20. transitive. Of a stationary object: to have (a person or thing) on it; to have or hold on top. Also with on it, its surface, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > high position > set in a high position [verb (transitive)] > hold up or aloft

to bear upeOE

bearc1380

to show up?1531

the world > space > relative position > high position > position upon > be upon (something) [verb (transitive)] > have (something) upon

bear1852

c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 369 Þe nayles three, þat paynede crist wan he was born on þe rode Tree.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. xi. i. 566 Ayre..beriþ þe fyre and is ibore of þe watre.

1542 T. Elyot Bibliotheca at Trimyxos A lampe or candelstycke, bearynge thre lyghtes.

1660 H. Fletcher Perfect Politician 342 At each corner..there was erected an upright Pillar, which bore on their tops Lions and Dragons.

1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin II. xxvii. 115 Eva's little table..bore on it her favorite vase, with a single white moss rose-bud in it.

1926 Santa Ana (Calif.) Daily Evening Reg. 5 Apr. 5/5 At each place stood a miniature hat-stand bearing a tiny hat.

2006 M. Blakely Come Sundown 413 I grabbed the corner of a blanket bearing a young woman who had been shot through the leg by a rifle ball.

21.

a. transitive. Of an object: to have (something) written, printed, or inscribed upon it. Also of a document or text: to contain (words, an image, etc.).See also to bear date at Phrases 2b.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > written text > an inscription > inscribe [verb (transitive)] > have written inscription

beara1387

subsign1572

a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 219 (MED) Eueriche of þilke ymages bare his owne lordes name i-write on his brest.

1572 in J. H. Burton Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1878) 1st Ser. II. 160 The plakkis..bering in the circumscriptioun the dait..1557.

1655 T. Stanley Hist. Philos. I. iii. 105 A Pillar..bare this inscription, Ground Sacred Diana.

?1740 J. Cuninghame Petition 6 Sir George McKenzie's Criminals, Tit. 30th, of Injuries, &c. Page 154. §5th. bearing these Words, viz. ‘That infamous Libels..are the most permanent of all Injuries’.

1852 Aberdeen Jrnl. 10 Mar. 6/6 The coin of Nerva bears a representation of his head on the obverse.

1902 Motor World 4 Dec. 308/2 In contests where the route is marked at a point 200 yards in advance of dangerous places in the highway a yellow flag, bearing the word ‘Caution’ should be displayed.

2010 Illawarra (Austral.) Mercury (Nexis) 29 Oct. 3 He began making boats more than 20 years ago, inspired by a postcard he received bearing a picture of a boat.

b. transitive (in passive). With on, upon, or (now Indian English) in. To be registered or enrolled in a specified organization; spec. to be placed on the list of an army, division of the army, or a ship's crew. Also: to be listed on the books or register of a specified organization; (more generally) to be placed on a list. Now chiefly Indian English.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > record > list > be entered in list [verb (passive)]

bear1654

1654 J. Greene Let. 12 June (P.R.O.: SP 18/83) f. 85 According to your order..his Certificat is new made, w^ch denominates him A Seaman... This I thoug[ht] [g]ood to Certify y^t if your worshippe thincke meete hee shall bee borne upon y^t account.

1758 J. Blake Plan Marine Syst. 7 Each man so listed..shall be borne upon the said ship, in the same class in which he is rated.

1835 Reg. Deb. Congr. 11 App. 293/1 Sixty-eight cases borne upon the conjectural list were rejected, and thirty-six not borne on the list were rejected.

1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 38 Though borne on the English establishment, that regiment..had been almost exclusively composed of Scotchmen.

1946 Manch. Guardian 3 Apr. 5/2 All ranks will be borne on the establishment of the Army in garrisons in Europe.

1998 Times of India 25 Jan. 28 The Contractors registered in appropriate class borne in the list of Irrigation, Public Health and Highway departments of above State shall also be eligible.

2000 Bull. Banking & Finance 3 f77 In such a case the credit facility extended to the borrower will be borne on the books of the original lender till it is taken over.

22.

a. transitive. Of a statement, report, story, etc.: to mean (something); to purport, imply; to state, allege. Chiefly with clause (esp. that-clause) as object. Now rare (Scottish in later use).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > meaning of linguistic unit > mean, signify, express [verb (transitive)]

tokenc888

meaneOE

sayOE

bequeathc1175

signifya1382

beara1400

bemeana1400

soundc1400

designc1429

applyc1450

betoken1502

express1526

conveya1568

intend1572

carry1584

denotate1597

pronounce1610

to set out1628

implya1640

speak1645

denote1668

designate1741

describe1808

enunciate1859

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Trin. Cambr.) l. 14753 Oure lord hem ȝaf þis vnswere But þei wist not what hit bare.

1478 in T. Thomson Acts Lords Auditors (1839) 75/2 His lettre of obligatioun..bering the sett of the sammyn [landis].

1589 G. Puttenham Arte Eng. Poesie iii. xix. 167 The Greeks call this figure Anadiplosis, I call him the Redouble as the originall beares.

1663 B. Gerbier Counsel to Builders 53 The description of..the Palace of Solomon bears, that it was made with smooth hard stone.

1745 J. Cope Let. 9 Aug. in Rep. Conduct Sir. J. Cope (1749) 116 The Letter bears, that the pretended Prince of Wales came lately on the Coast of Uist and Barra.

1802 W. Scott Thomas the Rhymer i. Introd. in Poet. Wks. (1838) 318/2 The popular tale bears, that Thomas was carried off, at an early age, to the Fairy Land, where he acquired all the knowledge which made him afterwards famous.

1927 D. Murray Memories Old College Glasgow 94 Beneath this there was another inscription bearing that the building was erected in 1656.

1954 Session Cases 300 On 13th October 1952 the appellant served on the respondent a notice of resumption of certain parts of the farm of Cowbog. The notice bore that the reason was ‘for the purpose of farming the same myself’.

b. transitive. Esp. of a document or text: to appear ostensibly, purport to be something.Common in Scottish use.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > statement > assertion without proof > [verb (intransitive)] > claim, maintain, or profess

pretend1494

to make for ——c1522

bear1641

1641 in Rec. Parl. Scotl. to 1707 (2007) 1641/7/68 That no signatoures be past which beires to be granted with consent of the Erle of Traquair, thesaurer.

1759 W. Robertson in H. Campbell Love Lett. Mary Queen of Scots (1824) 235 A French translation..bears to have been printed at Edinburgh by Thomas Waltem, 1572.

a1859 L. Hunt Autobiogr. (1860) iii. 72 A portrait..bearing to be the likeness of a certain Erasmus Smith, Esq.

1969 Jrnl. Criminal Law 33 204 Proof of approval consisted in each case of the production of a copy letter bearing to be from St. Andrews House.

1995 Times 25 July 19/5 Albyn had granted a floating charge that bore to be over ‘the whole of the property’.

III. To produce, yield, give birth to.

23.

a. transitive. Of a plant: to produce or yield (flowers, fruit, etc.). Also in weakened sense: to possess (flowers, leaves, etc.). Cf. the figurative phrase to bear fruit at Phrases 3.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > by growth or development > grow or vegetate [verb (intransitive)] > bear (fruit, flower, etc.)

bearOE

berry1865

the world > plants > by growth or development > grow, sprout, or bear fruit [verb (transitive)] > bring forth, produce, or bear

bearOE

makea1325

showc1330

yielda1400

producea1513

carry1577

hatch1592

throw1738

OE Genesis B 479 Þæt wæs deaðes beam, se bær bitres fela.

OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) vii. 17 Ælc god treow byrþ gode wæstmas.

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 7232 To blowe, & suþþe to bere frut.

a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 3128 Pulled..Fro the Roser that it bere.

1567 T. Drant tr. Horace Pistles in tr. Horace Arte of Poetrie sig. Diij Whilste sommer swage, and the figge tree Hyr pryme frute haue I bore.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) iv. iii. 421 The Oakes beare Mast, the Briars Scarlet Heps.

1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Low-worm That Turmentle which bears a yellow flower.

1873 A. Wood Leaves & Flowers xxvi. 101 A biennial herb lives two years. During the first it germinates, grows, and bears leaves only.

2005 Daily Tel. 23 May 5/1 The first Bramley tree, which still bears fruit, was planted in around 1809.

b. transitive. Of land, the soil, a place, etc.: to produce or yield (a crop, mineral, or other natural product). Also of an animal: to yield or provide (a natural product). In early use also occasionally intransitive.

ΘΚΠ

the world > the earth > land > landscape > fertile land or place > land with vegetation > produce vegetation [verb (transitive)]

bearOE

OE Ælfric Homily (Corpus Cambr. 162) in J. C. Pope Homilies of Ælfric (1967) I. 251 Ic abad þæt min wineard bære me wæstmas, and he þa forðbrohte abroðene berian.

OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Cambr. Univ. Libr.) i. Introd. 26 Swylce hit [sc. land] is eac berende on wecga orum ares & isernes, leades & seolfres.

?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1137 War sæ me tilede, þe erthe ne bar nan corn.

c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. l. 3314 (MED) Þe soil..þei maked han redy to bere greyn.

a1500 (?c1440) J. Lydgate Horse, Goose & Sheep (Lansd.) l. 364 in Minor Poems (1934) ii. 554 Of Sheep al-so comyth pilet & eke fell,..The Sheep al-so turnyth to gret profite, To helpe of man berith furris blak & white.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics i, in tr. Virgil Wks. 52 India, black Ebon and white Ivory bears .

1705 J. Addison Remarks Italy 1 The most uncultivated of 'em [sc. Gardens] bear abundance of sweet Plants.

1853 Civil Engineer & Architect's Jrnl. 16 371/1 Every river of Germany bears gold more or less.

1915 H. W. Vaughan Types & Market Classes Live Stock ii. 159 Fine-wool sheep bear wool that is 1½ to 4 inches long after twelve months' growth.

2013 North of Scotl. Archaeol. Soc. Newslet. July 3 Sheep grazed the green lands that once bore crops of oats, potatoes, turnips and hay.

c. intransitive. Of a plant: to produce or yield flowers, fruit, etc.

ΚΠ

c1300 St. Brendan (Harl.) (1844) 32 Treon ther were ful of frut... The treon thicke bere.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. lxxxiv. 974 Som iuniperus is moche..and som is litel... And eyþer is a row tre wiþ prikkes and many smale leues and scharpe; and eyþer bereþ.

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 8^v Bowes forto beire in the Bare winttur..she made.

1718 R. Bradley New Improvem. Planting & Gardening: Pt. 3 157 We have two Sorts of Kidney-Beans..; the one which bears early near the Root;..and another Kind, which is more rampant.

1892 Southern Cultivator Jan. 6/1 The wonder is, not that the trees do not bear, but that they live at all.

2018 Courier Mail (Brisbane) (Nexis) 16 Dec. 18 Do variegated cumquat trees bear as well as non-variegated ones?

24.

a. transitive. Of a woman, other female mammal, or other viviparous animal: to give birth to (offspring); to have (a child or children). Cf. sense 1b and born adj.Also with to a specified father, or with double object (the offspring and its father).

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > mammals > [verb (transitive)] > give birth

bearOE

the world > life > source or principle of life > birth > confinement > confine or deliver [verb (transitive)] > give birth

forthbring971

akenOE

haveOE

bearOE

to bring into the worldOE

teemOE

i-bereOE

to bring forthc1175

childc1175

reara1275

ofkenc1275

hatcha1350

makea1382

yielda1400

cleck1401

issue1447

engenderc1450

infant1483

deliver?a1518

whelp1581

world1596

yean1598

fall1600

to give (a person or thing) birth1615

to give birth to1633

drop1662

pup1699

born1703

to throw off1742

beteem1855

birth1855

parturiate1866

shell1890

to put to bed1973

bring-

the world > animals > animal body > general parts > sexual organs and reproduction > [verb (transitive)] > give birth to

bearOE

whelpc1175

kindle?c1225

hatcha1350

yeana1387

calvea1425

producea1513

dam1577

cast1587

rewhelp1605

render1607

store1611

drop1662

warp1738

kit1758

kitten1824

throw1824

cub1864

OE Blickling Homilies 13 Heo þone eaþmodan cyning bær.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 2029 Ȝiff. þatt ȝho þa bære child. & weddedd nohht ne wære Þa mihhte wimmann berenn child. Þurrh ful forrleȝerrnesse.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 722 Sarray non childre ne bar.

?a1425 (a1396) W. Hilton Scale of Perfection (Lamb. 472) (2000) i. xci. l. 2594 Mi dere children, whiche y bere as a woman berith a child.

a1593 H. Smith Wks. (1867) II. 65 Leah having borne to Jacob four sons.

1676 T. Hobbes tr. Homer Iliads i. 397 I have born you to Short life.

1772 London Mag. Jan. 19/2 As a friend, he could not help communicating to him a secret, and that was, that she had bore him a child.

1893 Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc. 20 299 Winged Viviparous Female... In older specimens that have nearly finished bearing young, the abdomen may become almost black.

1942 Jrnl. Mammol. 23 31 Examination showed that each of these animals bore a litter of young during the time that the area was being trapped.

2018 @rileytresjolie 21 Dec. in twitter.com (accessed 25 Mar. 2019) So women are only women if they are able to bear children?

b. intransitive. Of a woman or other female mammal: to give birth to offspring. Now rare (usually in historical contexts).

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > source or principle of life > birth > confinement > be confined [verb (intransitive)] > give birth

kenc1000

childc1175

beara1382

labour1454

to cry out1623

parturiate1649

pup1708

to fall in two1788

accouche1819

to have one's bed1848

pip1973

to put to bed1973

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Isa. liv. 1 Preise, thou bareyne, that berst not.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) ii. i. 200 Women are made to beare, and so are you.

1810 J. Smith Syst. Mod. Geogr. I. 836 The women bear easily, and are very fruitful.

1988 B. Krahn Hidden Fires 410 I'm Constance's daughter, remember,..and enough of a peasant to bear easily.

IV. To push, thrust, press, and extended uses.

* To exert pressure on, and related senses.

25.

a. intransitive. Of a (literal or figurative) weight or load: to press down on or upon (a person or thing); to weigh on. Cf. to bear down 3b at Phrasal verbs 1. Now rare.In quot. eOE with reference to earth pressing down upon a (malevolent) supernatural being, implying an adverse effect (cf. sense 25b). This example could alternatively be interpreted as showing the Old English prefixed verb onberan.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > suffering > state of being harassed > condition of being oppressed > oppress [verb (transitive)]

beareOE

charka1300

to weigh downa1340

besit1377

to bear (a person or thing) heavyc1384

oppressc1384

thringa1400

empressc1400

accloyc1425

to sit downa1450

threst1513

downtread1536

to weigh back, on one side, to the earth1595

to bear (a person or thing) hard (also heavily, heavy, etc.)1602

pressa1616

weight1647

to bear (a person or thing) heavily1702

weigh1794

freight1892

eOE Metrical Charm: For Water-Elf Disease (Royal 12 D.xvii) 14 Eorþe þe on bere eallum hire mihtum.

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 181 Ðe fet up aweigeð [the belly], and heuie þar onne bereð.

1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xvii. 658 All the heavie lode and whole burden beareth upon one and the selfesame place.

1748 T. Smollett Roderick Random I. xxvi. 237 I..had the mortification to find myself stuck up as it were in a pillory, and the weight of three or four people bearing on each side of my neck.

1829 R. Southey All for Love vi. 63 While she pray'd the load of care Less heavily bore on her heart.

1996 Courier Mail (Queensland) (Nexis) 3 Aug. 21 The weight of responsibility bears heavily on his shoulders.

b. intransitive. With on or upon, and adverbs such as hard, heavily, grievously as complement. To affect a person or thing adversely.In later use probably often interpreted as the downward pressure of a burden: see sense 25a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > adversity > suffer (adversity or affliction) [verb (transitive)] > afflict > oppress or afflict

heavyc897

narroweOE

overlayOE

overseamOE

twingea1300

to weigh downa1340

grieve1340

besit1377

oppressc1384

foila1400

thringa1400

empressc1400

enpressc1400

aska1425

press?a1425

peisea1450

straita1464

constraina1500

overhale1531

to grate on or upon1532

wrack1562

surcharge1592

to lie heavy uponc1595

to weigh back, on one side, to the earth1595

to sit on ——1607

to sit upon ——1607

gall1614

bear1645

weight1647

obsess1648

aggrieve1670

swinge1681

lean1736

gravitate1754

weigh1794

1645 J. Corbet Hist. Relation Mil. Govt. Gloucester 81 The power of the enemy did beare hard on the Countrey.

1713 R. Steele in Guardian 12 May 2/1 I will not bear hard upon his Contrition.

1835 H. Miller Scenes & Legends N. Scotl. xx. 345 An open, boisterous winter, that bore heavy on the weak and aged.

1883 Harper's Mag. Aug. 433/1 It was on the commercial colonies that the exactions of the home government bore most severely.

2018 Sun (Nexis) 16 Dec. The EU's Common External Tariff would bear heavily on our European exports.

†26. transitive. With prepositional complement, esp. with through. To stab (a person). Cf. to bear through at Phrasal verbs 1. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > ill health > injury > injure [verb (transitive)] > wound > wound with sharp weapon

woundc760

stickOE

snese?c1225

stokea1300

steekc1300

bearc1330

stangc1340

chop1362

broach1377

foinc1380

strikec1390

borea1400

dag?a1400

gorea1400

gridea1400

staira1400

through-girdc1405

thrustc1410

runc1425

to run throughc1425

traversec1425

spitc1430

through-seeka1500

stitch1527

falchiona1529

stab1530

to stab (a person) in1530

stob?1530

rutc1540

rove?c1550

push1551

foxa1566

stoga1572

poniard1593

dirk1599

bestab1600

poach1602

stiletto1613

stocka1640

inrun1653

stoccado1677

dagger1694

whip1699

bayonetc1700

tomahawk1711

stug1722

chiv1725

kittle1786

sabre1790

halberd1825

jab1825

skewer1837

sword1863

poke1866

spear1869

whinger1892

pig-stick1902

shiv1926

society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > cut of sharp weapon > cut or penetrate (of weapon) [verb (transitive)] > strike with pointed weapon

prickOE

pritchOE

snese?c1225

threstc1275

stokea1300

bearc1330

stangc1340

broach1377

foinc1380

borea1400

dag?a1400

gorea1400

gridea1400

slot?a1400

staira1400

through-girdc1405

thrustc1410

runc1425

to run throughc1425

traversec1425

spitc1430

through-seeka1500

to run in1509

stab1530

to stab (a person) in1530

accloy1543

push1551

stoga1572

poacha1616

stocka1640

stoccado1677

stug1722

kittle1820

skewer1837

pitchfork1854

poke1866

chib1973

c1330 (?a1300) Sir Tristrem (1886) l. 1042 Tristrem..Bar him þurch þe dragoun In þe scheld.

c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1398 Thanne praye I thee, to morwe with a spere That Arcita me thurgh the herte bere.

c1450 (?a1400) Sege Melayne (1880) l. 1395 Thurgh þ^e schelde..He was borne with a brande.

a1500 (?c1400) Song of Roland (1880) l. 689 He brek his sheld, and bar hym to the hert.

27. transitive. With adverb or prepositional complement. To move (a person or thing) by force of pressure; to push, force, drive (in a specified direction or to a specified place). Also figurative and in figurative contexts.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > impelling or driving > pushing and pulling > push and pull [verb (transitive)] > push

thrustc1175

pilta1200

pingc1300

pote1340

pusha1350

beara1398

pokea1425

possa1425

pressc1425

shun1674

crowd1830

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. xiii. xxi. 667 Þe see..bereþ aȝeyne þe ryuere water toward þe place þat he comeþ of.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 16252 Hu þat þis folk þe beres to þe dede.

c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 22 Than pollux..Bere backeward the batell.

1652 M. Nedham tr. J. Selden Of Dominion of Sea 470 They..will needs bear all the world before them.

1796 R. Southey Joan of Arc vi. 397 Borne backward Talbot turns.

1855 J. L. Motley Rise Dutch Republic I. ii. ii. 318 Bearing him off over his horse's tail.

1936 Amer. Sociol. Rev. 1 457 Among the first to be borne along by that other powerful current of biologized sociology, social Darwinism, was Hiroyuki Kato.

2010 Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 13 Nov. 1 Woods's first shot was borne by the wind into a bunker.

†28. intransitive. With on, upon, at, to. To push or thrust against a person or thing; (of a ship) to push at another from the side. Cf. to bear down 1a at Phrasal verbs 1. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > impact > striking > striking in specific manner > strike in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > strike with pushing action > give a push

pilta1200

beara1500

put1504

hunch1581

boke1601

nudge1809

a1500 (?c1450) Merlin viii. 127 And he bar on hym so sore that he threwe the knyght to grounde.

a1500 (?c1450) Merlin vii. 118 Thei bar to hym so harde that Arthur was throwe to the erthe.

a1522 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid (1959) x. x. 24 The tother..Buyr at hym mychtyly with a lang speir.

1722 D. Humphreys tr. B. de Montfaucon Antiq. Explained IV. iv. ix. 179 A Samothracian Ship bore hard upon an Athenian Vessel, and sunk her.

29. intransitive. To exert or transmit mechanical pressure against, on, or upon (a means of support); to rest one's or its weight on. Also: to exert a lateral pushing force against (a contiguous part of a structure).

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > [verb (intransitive)] > exert pressure

pressa1400

bear1581

gravitate1644

1581 R. Mulcaster Positions xx. 84 In walking to strout the legges, and beare vpon the heeles, is verie good for an ill head.

1679 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. ix. 154 This Post..Bears upon the Floor.

1715 J. T. Desaguliers tr. N. Gauger Fires Improv'd 122 Which must bear against the Limbs of the Sector-Pieces.

1795 Analyt. Rev. Nov. 456 The weight of the marl, bearing on twenty-four wheels, is discharged at so many points, that the iron road is much lighter.

1854 J. Scoffern in Orr's Circle Sci., Chem. Chem. 292 Little collars of leather..bearing against the shoulders of the apparatus.

1995 U.S. Patent 5,378,075 1 The roller lies adjacent the narrow end of the passage and bears hard against the side of the passage.

30.

a. intransitive. With on or †upon. To lie close to, border on a place. Also (and now chiefly) of immaterial things: to be close to in nature or character.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > relationship > similarity > be similar [verb (intransitive)] > border upon, approach, or approximate

coast1382

to want little (also naught)a1500

approacha1538

bear1582

sympathize1605

to trench on or upon1622

neighboura1640

to border on or upona1694

approximate1771

verge1827

begin1833

1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum xv. cvii. f. 236/1 (Addition) The whales resort vnto those northen coasts that beare vpon Wardhus, an Iland.

1635 W. Saltonstall tr. G. Mercator Historia Mundi 796 Ptolemy calls it Myrtoum, or the Myrtoan Sea, being a part of the Aegean, which beareth on Caria a Country of Asia the less.

1682 London Gaz. No. 1731/4 A..Coat of grey colour'd Cloth bearing upon the blew.

1834 F. Marryat Jacob Faithful I. xv. 259 He related an incident..which particularly bore upon the marvellous.

1898 A. T. Mahan Infl. Sea Power (ed. 10) I. 10 The great Empire of Russia,..had since then been moving forward..its centre, which bore upon the continent of Europe.

2009 Racing Post (Nexis) 5 July 109 To have any chance of winning he needs to play at least at the level he produced against Murray and that is bearing on the impossible.

b. intransitive. To exert influence on or upon (something); to affect. Also: to relate or apply to (something). Cf. to bring to bear at Phrases 4a, to come to bear at Phrases 4b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > operation upon something > exert operative influence [verb (intransitive)]

imprest1652

bear1658

evirtuate1676

tell1779

to come into ——1881

the world > relative properties > relationship > relate or connect [verb (intransitive)] > be or become concerned or involved

to have to do with (also mid, of, on)a1225

interlacec1380

to do with ——a1400

bedrive1481

concern1614

bear1658

connect1709

the mind > emotion > pride > overweening or presumption > render overweening [verb (transitive)] > presume on

bear1658

1658 R. Steed & A. Cheare Plain Discov. 2 That what may be found in him to bear upon the mayn cause, may be dealt withal.

1795 W. Paley View Evidences Christianity (ed. 3) II. ii. vii. 197 To point out how the argument bears upon the general question.

1869 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest (1876) III. xii. 197 How this marriage bears on the history of Maine.

1883 Ld. Carlingford in Echo 1 Sept. 4/2 A..collection of artistic objects bearing on industry.

1957 G. Macgregor Experiences Amer. Scholars in Countries Near East & S. Asia 1 It was hoped that the ensuing reports would provide additional understanding of some of the economic, social, political, and educational factors bearing upon the operation of the exchange program.

2013 Financial Law Reporter (Nexis) 10 Jan. The evidence does not bear directly on the issues in the case.

** To move or extend in a specified direction.

31. With adverb or prepositional phrase as complement.

a. intransitive. To go, move, proceed in a specified direction or to a specified place, (in earlier use) often with effort or against resistance; to push or press on. Now chiefly: to change one's course (gradually) in a specified direction.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > aspects of travel > travel in specific course or direction > direct one's course [verb (intransitive)]

thinkeOE

bowa1000

seta1000

scritheOE

minlOE

turnc1175

to wend one's wayc1225

ettlec1275

hieldc1275

standc1300

to take (the) gatec1330

bear?c1335

applyc1384

aim?a1400

bend1399

hita1400

straighta1400

bounc1400

intendc1425

purposec1425

appliquec1440

stevenc1440

shape1480

make1488

steera1500

course1555

to make out1558

to make in1575

to make for ——a1593

to make forth1594

plyc1595

trend1618

tour1768

to lie up1779

head1817

loop1898

society > travel > [verb (intransitive)] > forcibly

shovec888

thrustc1330

crowda1415

throngc1440

thrumble?a1513

to shoulder one's way1581

to make one's way1589

bear1594

push1602

jostle1622

force1653

way1694

squeeze1704

to push one's way1716

thrutchc1837

barge1888

?c1335 in W. Heuser Kildare-Gedichte (1904) 129 Man, þou hast þe forlor And ful neiþ [perhaps read neiȝ] to helle ibor.

1594 W. Shakespeare Lucrece sig. K2^v Here one being throng'd, bears back.

1674 N. Fairfax Treat. Bulk & Selvedge 122 The spring asking some minutes time to gather strength enough..to give a start or least stirring, and some minute or minutes more to bear on towards a second hitch.

1743 R. Blair Grave 39 The..Bird..Claps his..Wings, and bears away.

1842 H. E. Manning Serm. xviii. 272 The stream of this visible world, which bears down in a heavy tide away from God.

1874 J. Forrest Jrnl. 22 July in Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. (1875) 45 ix. 273 I bore east and E.S.E. for over 30 miles, but could not find a drop of water all day.

1909 T. Hardy Time's Laughingstocks & Other Verses 4 I bore towards the Ridge, With a dim unowned emotion.

2001 Times (Nexis) 29 Dec. Bear left off the track over the hillside.

b. intransitive. Nautical. To sail in a specified direction. Cf. to bear away 3 at Phrasal verbs 1, to bear down 3a at Phrasal verbs 1, to bear in 1 at Phrasal verbs 1, to bear off 3 at Phrasal verbs 1.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction

steer1340

stem1487

capea1522

lie1574

put1578

bear1587

rut1588

haul1589

fetch1590

standa1594

to stand along1600

to bear away1614

work1621

to lay up1832

1587 J. White in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) iii. 765 We waied anker at Muskitoes Baye..bearing along the coast of S. Iohns, till evening.

1650 Severall Proc. Parl. No. 49. 728 We bore with them, as far as with safety we durst, the Admirall having but ten fathome water, to the Southward of the S. Kitchup.

1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 428. ⁋1 People tost in a troubled Sea, without knowing to what Shore they bear.

1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms i. 397 Onwards with the favouring gale..Th' impatient Vessel bore.

1854 H. Miller My Schools & Schoolmasters (1858) 12 They bore out to sea.

2014 Sunday Mercury (Nexis) 13 Apr. 22 The Graf Spee..bearing towards them turned its main armament of six 11in (28cm) guns on HMS Exeter.

32. intransitive. With adverb or prepositional phrase as complement. Of a road, coastline, mountain range, etc.: to extend or stretch away in a specified direction; (also) to bend left or right. Cf. to bear outward(s) at Phrasal verbs 1.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > extension in space > extend in space [verb (intransitive)] > extend in a certain direction

liec1000

shootc1000

drawc1180

stretcha1387

streek1388

bear1556

trend1598

tend1604

take1610

to make out1743

to put out1755

trench1768

make1787

1556 R. Record Castle of Knowl. iv. 146 Nother yet in the other two examples any of bothe places was directly southe from vs, for the Forelonde of Affrike beareth towarde the easte, and the Streight of Magellanus bendeth towarde the weste.

1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. 73 From whence proceedeth and beareth forth the necke or cape of Peloponnesus.

1681 Philos. Coll. (Royal Soc.) No. 2. 5 Being down about two Fathom I found the Rocks to bear away from me, so that I could touch nothing to guide myself by.

1761 tr. G. B. Du Bocage Petit Neptune François (ed. 2) iv. 57 From Hodierne to the Rocks of Penmark the coast bears South East.

1883 Harper's Mag. Nov. 822/1 The Battenkill bears southward for twenty miles.

1968 T. McGuane Sporting Club 1996 72 The path skirted the lower end, bearing toward the river, and forked.

2019 Bath Chron. (Nexis) 25 July 13 The road bears sharply right in front of the church.

†33. intransitive. Originally and chiefly Nautical. To be situated in a specified direction from a particular point or place. Cf. bearing n.¹ 14a(a). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > direction > point or lie in a direction [verb (intransitive)] > from a given point

bear?1574

?1574 W. Bourne Regiment for Sea xiv. 41 The .2. places assigned beare Easte and West the one from the other.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) v. i. 8 This is Lucentios house, My Fathers beares more toward the Market-place.

1684 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 14 438 Then shewed him how Constantinople beared from Candia.

a1774 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued (1777) III. iii. 213 You must bring such a hill to bear directly over such a point of the shore.

1835 J. Ross Narr. Second Voy. North-west Passage vi. 88 Possession Bay bore due west.

34. intransitive. Of a piece of artillery: to be placed or situated so as to cover a target; to be in position for discharging shot effectively (on or upon a target). Also of a firearm: to be aimed at a target. Now rare (and apparently only in historical contexts), except in to bring to bear at Phrases 4a, to come to bear at Phrases 4b.Recorded earliest in to bring to bear at Phrases 4a.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > action of propelling missile > discharge of firearms > management of artillery > operate artillery [verb (intransitive)] > lie in effective position

bear1619

1619 G. Muschampe Let. 9 Mar. in S. Purchas Pilgrimes (1625) I. 678 We had neither wind nor tyde to thwart the ship to bring our Ordnance to beare.

a1804 Ld. Nelson in Dispatches & Lett. (1845) II. 14 Our after-guns ceased to bear.

1865 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia V. xix. vii. 572 Finck had no artillery to bear on Daun's transit through the Pass.

2006 H. Turtledove Fort Pillow (e-book ed.) Colonel Barteau ought to have the same order, in case the gunboat shifts so her guns bear on his men.

†35. transitive. To position (something) in a specified manner. Obsolete. N.E.D. (1887) defined this sense as ‘(casual). To direct a shot or missile.’

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > action of propelling missile > assail with missiles [verb (transitive)] > aim or direct (missile)

aimc1565

bear1740

1740 G. Smith tr. Laboratory (ed. 2) App. p. lii You must bear the first fir'd rocket's neck up above the rest, underlaying it with a tin plate, or anything else.

Phrases

P1.

a. Phrases relating to branch I.to bear the bell, to bear coals, to bear one's cross, to bear a faggot, to bear the flower, to bear the gree, to bear low sail, to bear the palm, to bear a part, to bear the stroke, etc.: see the nouns.

b. to bear the crown and variants.

(a) To reign as monarch; to rule.In quot. lOE with Old English cynehelm crown.

ΚΠ

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1086 He læfde æfter him þreo sunan.., se oðer het Willelm þe bær æfter him on Engleland þone kinehelm.]

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 10657 It was..in þe verþe ȝer þat he verst croune ber.

c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 770 He shall of Corinthe toun After þee bere [a1425 Linc. Inn beore] coroun.

1583 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments (ed. 4) II. 1082/2 There hath not many suche Queenes before her borne the Crowne of England.

1641 Earl of Monmouth tr. G. F. Biondi Hist. Civil Warres Eng. I. v. 160 The people borne by their love to a Prince who bore the Crowne, not by his owne usurpation, but by two successive discents from Father and Grandfather.

1855 Daily Post (Liverpool) 21 Nov. 3/2 The treaty having been concluded by..a race of Europeans which has borne the crown upon its head for centuries.

1901 Times 21 Jan. 5/3 Queen Victoria..the universally-respected head of the family who for more than 63 years has borne the crown of the greatest Empire of the world.

2003 G. Heng Empire of Magic iii. 175 Gawain was worthy to be England's king, though Arthur bore the crown.

(b) To take first place in a (real or notional) contest; to be the winner; to be the best.

ΚΠ

a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Cock & Fox l. 464 in Poems (1981) 22 Off craftie crawing he micht beir the croun.

1715 A. Pennecuik Geogr., Hist. Descr. Tweeddale 24 Gilminscleugh for Strength, may bear the Crown, Who wrestled with a Horse, and threw him down.

1871 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 22 July In the life race..each in himself may touch the goal in time, and so bear the crown.

1984 Washington Post 26 July (District Weekly) dc 1/1 When we met, I noticed the strain of bearing the crown... I have to wonder: Who cares for Miss America when she is feeling down?

2006 PR Newswire US (Nexis) 5 July Who bears the crown in hip-hop soul? According to consumers, three artists rise above the rest—Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G.

†c.

(a) to bear one's heart: to have one's desire set in a particular direction; to be inclined to something or to do something. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > existence and causation > existence > state or condition > tendency > tend or incline [verb (intransitive)] > to do something

to bear one's heartc1175

to take the wayc1330

to be (later also to have it) in purpose1340

bend1567

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 5590 Himm reoweþþ þatt he nohht ne maȝȝ. Swillc haliȝ bisne shæwenn. Alls himm hiss herrte bereþþ to.

c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 224 The King also..bar his hurte mest to do ther Seint Thomas.

(b) to bear one's (also the, a) face (also head): to be facing a particular direction; (also figurative) to lean, incline toward. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > direction > point or lie in a direction [verb (intransitive)] > turn round or to face a direction

turnc1330

convertc1384

to bear one's (also the, a) face (also head)c1400

beturn1594

swerve1607

face1623

orientate1848

to front about1886

orient1896

c1400 (?c1380) Pearl l. 67 Towarde a foreste I bere þe face.

1587 A. Golding tr. Solinus Worthie Work l. sig. Aa.ii^v Hee [sc. Mount Taurus] beareth hys heade towarde Greece also, where hee is called Ceraunius.

1660 G. Hammon Truth & Innocency 49 I am ready to believe, that the Church of Rome have also abused our Greek Copies in many particulars, to bear a face toward their opinion; as that text in Mat. 10.28. and the stop, Luke 23.43.

d. to bear (a person) company (also fellowship, etc.): to keep (a person) company. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a companion or associate > accompany or associate with [verb (transitive)]

seeOE

to bear (a person) company (also fellowship, etc.)c1225

mella1300

fellowshipa1382

companya1400

accompany1461

to keep company (with)1502

encompanya1513

to keep (a person) company1517

to take repast1517

assist1553

to take up with1570

rempare1581

to go along with1588

amate1590

bear1590

to fall in1593

consort1598

second1600

to walk (also travel) in the way with1611

comitate1632

associate1644

enhaunt1658

join1713

assort1823

sit1828

companionize1870

to take tea with1888

to knock about with1915

tote1977

fere-

c1225 (?c1200) St. Margaret (Bodl.) (1934) 50 Wið bliðe heorte beoreð me genge for te herien þe king.

c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 990 If eni so wod were, That Seint Thomas consaillede and cumpaignye bere..me scholde him nyme anon.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 12568 And quen he suld to metschip ga..Alle þai felauschip him bare.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iv. iii. 34 I doe desire thee..To beare me company, and goe with me.

1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. vii. vii. 52 You have promised to bear me Company .

1858 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia II. vii. v. 215 This pleasant streamlet..has borne us company for some time.

1923 D. A. Mackenzie China & Japan (1994) xvi. 302 Apparently it was not only the poor Indians..who thought their dogs..would be admitted to the ‘equal sky’, there to bear them company.

†(a) to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) hand [Probably after Middle French maintenir and post-classical Latin manutenere maintain v. Compare Old Icelandic bera á hǫnd (also bera á hendr) to reproach, to accuse.]

(i) With clause, esp. that-clause, as complement. To assert, maintain to (a person) (that he or she has done something, or is something); to charge, accuse (a person) (of something). Also: to assert, maintain (that something is true). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > testing > accusation, charge > make accusation [phrase]

to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handc1300

to lay the blame on1393

to give the wrong to?1473

to lay in (his) neckc1515

to cast (any one) in the teeth1526

to cast (a thing) in one's teeth1526

to lay to (also cast in) a person's nose1526

to dash one in the teeth with (something)1530

call to or in coram1542

to cast (also lay, throw) (something) in one's dish1551

to throw (cast) a stone or stones (at)1568

to cast up1604

to nail to the barn door1894

the mind > language > statement > maintaining or upholding as true > maintain or uphold as true [verb (intransitive)]

to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handc1300

contend1548

happen1705

the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > act of convincing, conviction > convince someone [phrase]

to put in weeningc1275

to bear in handc1300

to threap (something) uponc1440

to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handa1716

the mind > language > statement > assertion without proof > [verb (transitive)] > claim, maintain, or profess

to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handc1300

pretend1402

presumea1470

profess1530

vendicate1557

pretence1567

intend1570

to show for ——1573

affect1606

to make out1659

purport1679

proport1884

society > authority > control > [verb (transitive)] > manage or administer

steerc888

leadc1175

guyc1330

guidec1374

governa1382

ministera1382

treat1387

administer1395

dispose1398

skift?a1400

warda1400

solicit1429

to deal with1469

handlea1470

execute1483

convoy?a1513

conveyc1515

mayne1520

to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handa1522

keepa1535

administrate1538

solicitate1547

to dispose of1573

manure1583

carry1600

manage1609

negotiate1619

conduct1632

to carry on1638

mesnage1654

nurse1745

work1841

operate1850

run1857

stage-manage1906

ramrod1920

c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 909 We wolleth the bere anhond that thu ert his traitour.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Man of Law's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 522 So stant this Innocent bifore the kyng This false knyght..Bereth hir on hond þ^t she hath doon this thyng.

1439 Early Chancery Proc. (P.R.O.: C 1/9/124b) And than come oon Richard Sharp of Couentre marchaunte in to the same Inne at Oxonford and bar anhond þat the sayde clothes wer the goodys of oon John Haddessors of Couentre.

1528 T. More Dialogue Heresyes i. in Wks. 109/1 To dowte whither Luther himselfe..wrote in dede so euyll as he is borne in hande.

a1529 J. Skelton Magnyfycence (?1530) sig. Bi^v They bare me in hande that I was a spye.

(ii) To profess, claim (to do something, esp. with intent to deceive); to delude (a person); to lead (a person) to believe that something is true. Cf. beanhond v. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Wife of Bath's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) Prol. l. 232 A wys wyf..Shal bere hym an hond the Cow is wood.

a1475 (?a1430) J. Lydgate tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Life Man (Vitell.) l. 14316 (MED) Thys wynd..Bereth me An hand that I am ffayr.

1559 Certayne Serm. (new ed.) sig. R.ii^v Let vs diligently foresee, that oure faith and hope, whiche we haue conceiued in almightie god, and in our sauiour Christ, waxe not fainte, nor that the loue whiche we beare in hande [1547 pretende] to beare to him, waxe not colde.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) v. vi. 43 Your daughter, whom she bore in hand to loue With such integrity, she did confesse Was as a Scorpion to her sight.

1625 J. Ussher Answer to Jesuite 4 Not so easie to be discerned, as fooles bee borne in hand they are.

a1716 R. South 12 Serm. (1717) VI. 25 If Popery and Fanaticism are so irreconcilable, as our True Protestants would bear us in hand that they are.

1771 I. Backus Lett. to Gentleman in Mass. Gen. Assembly 10 Some would bear us in hand, that we have anually as much Liberty as the other Denomination.

(iii) To carry on, manage. Obsolete. rare.

ΚΠ

a1522 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid (1959) vi. xv. l. 103 The batalis and the wer Quhilk eftir this he had to ber on hand.

(b) to bear a hand: to lend a hand, give help. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > aid, help, or assist [verb (intransitive)]

help?c1225

to shove at the cart1421

supply1446

assist?1518

to lend a hand (or a helping hand)1598

to hold handc1600

to put to one's hand (also hands)1603

seconda1609

subminister1611

to give (lend) a lift1622

to lay (a) hand1634

to give a hand1682

to bear a hand1710

to chip in1872

1710 C. Shadwell Fair Quaker of Deal i. 15 Sail. Come prithee go, for an the Commadore gets into his Tantrum Humours, there's no coming within a Cables length of him. Cox. Ay, that's true, therefore bear a hand.

1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine Bear-a-hand! a phrase of the same import with make haste..quick.

1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iii. vi. 47 Get him to bear a hand.

1961 Lowell (Mass.) Sun 9 Dec. 4/2 The thing that most impresses me..is his willingness to bear a hand with what might be called ‘extra-curricular activities’.

f. to bear arms against: to fight against, be engaged in hostilities with. Cf. to bear arms at arms n. Phrases 1a(a). [Compare classical Latin arma ferre contra.]

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > [verb (transitive)]

to bear arms againstc1325

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 11788 Alle þat armes bere Aȝen þe king in þe worre..Were alle deserited.

1562 R. Fills tr. Lawes & Statutes Geneua f. 26^v Item to be continually readie and prest to beare armes against the enemies.

1646 Articles concerning Surrender of Oxf. 11 No other Engagement shall be put upon them, save by promise, not to beare Armes against the Parliament.

1769 W. Robertson Hist. Charles V III. xi. 316 An ample..pardon to all who had born arms against him.

1904 Evening Rec. (Traverse City, Mich.) 26 May (headline) Bore arms against his country to save his life.

2018 Leadership (Abuja) (Nexis) 26 Oct. The operation is focused on identifying and destroying armed bandits and other persons bearing arms against the Nigerian State.

g. to bear a resemblance (also similarity, likeness, etc.) to (formerly also †of) (and variants): to be like, to resemble.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > relationship > similarity > render similar to [verb (transitive)] > be like, resemble, or take after

to bear a resemblance toa1225

semblec1330

resemble1340

to look likec1390

representa1398

belikec1475

assemble1483

express1483

to take after ——1553

figure1567

assimilate1578

besib1596

imitate1601

resemblance1603

respect1604

favour1609

image1726

mirror1820

facsimile1839

turn after ——1848

picture1850

a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 39 Ðanne behoueð ðe..þat tu luuiȝe..aurich mann ðe berð ðin anlicnesse.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) Prol. l. 908 (MED) That ilke ymage bar liknesse Of man.

1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. iv. f. 79 The life of the godly ought in dede to be tempered with honest sparying and sobrietie, that..it may..beare a certaine resemblance of fasting.

1671 S. Patrick Christian Sacrifice 478 Thou hast made man..capable to look back to thee, the Author of his being, and to be happy in loving thee, and bearing a likeness to thee.

1784 Monthly Rev. May 350 The article which follows bears a little similarity to the former, but will be more generally amusing.

1953 C. Ryan Conquest of Moon i. 3 The ships the explorers will use for the long journey through space will bear little resemblance to those depicted by the science-fictionists.

2017 Belfast Tel. (Nexis) 19 Aug. (Weekend section) 23 Ask a child to draw a picture of a flower and the result will inevitably bear a resemblance to a daisy.

†h. to bear life: to be alive, live; in early use often in all that bear life, everything that bears life, and variants: all living things. Obsolete. Quot. OE shows use with the Old English (poetic) compound feorh-līf life.

ΚΠ

OE Paris Psalter (1932) cxlii. 2 On þinre gesihðe ne bið soðfæst ænig þe on ðisse foldan feorhlif bereð [L. omnis uiuens].

a1400 (?a1350) Seege Troye (Egerton) (1927) l. 613 (MED) Þat fairest lady þat bereþ [a1425 Linc. Inn beoriþ] lyf, þou shalt wynne.

c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. l. 2599 (MED) Ȝe, of alle þat bere life, In bewte han a prerogatyfe.

1550 W. Hunnis Certayne Psalmes cxiii O All ye seruauntes, prayse the lorde..And euerye thynge that beareth lyfe Lykewyse do ye the same.

?a1656 J. Poole Eng. Parnassus (1657) 583 No creature bears life, Which more faithfullie studies to do you service.

1751 T. Troughton Barbarian Cruelty 29 He thought them a Set of disaffected Villains, that were not worthy to bear Life any longer.

1890 A. F. Bandelier Delight Makers xv. 336 Nothing moved; nothing suspicious was seen, nay, nothing that bore life, except the sombre vegetation.

i. to bear (a person or thing) in mind (also †heart): to keep (a person or thing) in one's thoughts; to be mindful of; to remember and take into consideration (a fact or circumstance).In Old English and early Middle English with on and the plural of heart.In later use chiefly with that-clause as object.

ΚΠ

OE Blickling Homilies 79 Þa þe beoð Gode underþeodde on godum willan, & þæs wyrþe beoþ þæt hie heofoncining on heora heortum beran.

a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 47 Hie bar hire holie cunebern on heorte gostliche and on honde lichamliche.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 14367 (MED) Þir signes..Yee aght, lauerdings, in hert to bere.

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Man of Law's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1029 In the olde Romayn gestes may men fynde Maurices lyf, I bere it noght in mynde.

1539 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes sig. D.vi^v Worthy..continuallye to be borne in mynde.

1734 D. Waterland Importance Doctr. Holy Trinity (ed. 2) 513 It may be proper to bear in mind that Three-fold Method of commenting which St. Jerome lays down; namely, the Historical, Tropological, and Theorical.

1845 J. R. McCulloch Treat. Taxation ii. v. 208 It should..be borne in mind..that rents..are higher now than at any former period.

1938 Amer. Home Jan. 57/2 This does not mean that a table set must be gathered in only one pattern or even a single color; but it does mean that its ultimate character must be constantly borne in mind.

2000 Times 17 Nov. ii. 26/4 People should bear in mind that the cheapest fare may not be the best option.

j. to bear the breeches (also breech): to be the dominant partner in a relationship; = to wear the breeches at breech n. 2a. rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > rule or government > rule or government of family or tribe > be dominant member of household [verb (intransitive)]

to bear the breechesc1525

to wear the trousers1841

c1525 Bk. Mayd Emlyn sig. A.iii^v All women be suche Thoughe the man bere the breche They wyll be euer checkemate.

1762 S. Foote tr. P. N. Destouches Young Hypocrite ii. iii, in S. Foote et al. Comic Theatre I. 38 He is called baron, but you bear the breeches.

1961 Dutch-Austral. Weekly 20 Oct. 10/4 ‘De vrouw is de baas’—‘The wife bears the breeches’.

†k. to bear (a person) a blow: to strike a blow against (a person). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > impact > striking > strike [verb (transitive)] > specific animate object

drepeOE

smitec1200

buffet?c1225

strike1377

rapa1400

seta1400

frontc1400

ballc1450

throw1488

to bear (a person) a blow1530

fetch1556

douse1559

knetcha1564

slat1577

to hit any one a blow1597

wherret1599

alapate1609

shock1614

baske1642

measure1652

plump1785

jow1802

nobble1841

scuff1841

clump1864

bust1873

plonk1874

to sock it to1877

dot1881

biff1888

dong1889

slosh1890

to soak it to1892

to cop (a person) one1898

poke1906

to hang one on1908

bop1931

clonk1949

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 679/2 I ratche, I catche, I have raught. Je attayns. And I ratche the thou shalt bere me a blowe.

a1645 W. Browne tr. M. Le Roy Hist. Polexander (1647) i. v. 116 Bajazet..bore him a blow that, in all likelyhood, should have bereft his life.

†l. to bear it: to be successful or victorious; to gain an advantage. Cf. carry v.. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > succeed or be a success [verb (intransitive)] > win

win1297

obtain1441

to go away with it1489

triumph1508

to carry (also get, lose, win, etc.) the day1557

to bear it1602

carry1602

to carry away the bucklers1608

to carry one's point1654

to carry it off1828

to ring the bell1900

1602 A. Copley Another Let. to Dis-iesuited Kinseman 35 He must not thinke to beare it hence forward amongst Catholikes in England with his bare Ipse dixit as heretofore.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) i. iii. 24 So may he with more facile question beare it .

a1625 J. Fletcher Mad Lover ii. i, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. B4/1 'Tis worth doing..but what doing beares it?

P2. Phrases relating to branch II.

a. to bear (a person or thing) hard (also heavily, heavy, etc.) [compare classical Latin aegrē ferre] : to endure or tolerate (something or someone) grudgingly or with difficulty; to take (something) badly; to resent (a person or thing). Now rare (archaic in later use).See also to bear (one) upon (also in) the spleen at spleen n. 8b.In quot. c1384 with of introducing the thing suffered.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > anger > indignation or resentment > be indignant at or resent [verb (transitive)]

to take in (also on, to) griefc1325

to bear (a person or thing) hard (also heavily, heavy, etc.)c1384

to take agrief?a1400

disdaina1513

stomach1523

to take it amiss1530

to have a grudge against (to, at)1531

to think amiss1533

envy1557

to take‥in (the) snuff (or to snuff)1560

to take snuff1565

to take scorn1581

to take indignly1593

to bear (one) upon (also in) the spleen1596

spleena1629

disresent1652

indign1652

miff1797

pin1934

the mind > emotion > suffering > state of being harassed > condition of being oppressed > oppress [verb (transitive)]

beareOE

charka1300

to weigh downa1340

besit1377

to bear (a person or thing) heavyc1384

oppressc1384

thringa1400

empressc1400

accloyc1425

to sit downa1450

threst1513

downtread1536

to weigh back, on one side, to the earth1595

to bear (a person or thing) hard (also heavily, heavy, etc.)1602

pressa1616

weight1647

to bear (a person or thing) heavily1702

weigh1794

freight1892

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) 2 Macc. iv. 35 For whiche cause not oonly Jewis, bot and other naciouns, weren wrothe, and baren heuyly [L. moleste ferebant] of the vniust deth of so grete a man.

c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Clerk's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 625 My peple sikly berth this mariage.

c1475 (a1400) J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 296 Many beren heuy þat freris ben clepid pseudo or ypocritis.

1602 W. S. True Chron. Hist. Ld. Cromwell sig. E2 You beare me hard, about the Abbie landes.

1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. i. 32 The Ill Success was heavily born, and imputed to Ill Conduct.

1874 A. C. Swinburne Bothwell (1882) ii. i. 97 It may be you do well to bear me hard.

1933 R. E. Mantz & J. M. Murry Life of Katherine Mansfield iv. 107 She bore it hard that her sisters seemed preferred before her.

b. to bear date: (of a document) to be dated (as specified). Cf. sense 21a. Now rare (chiefly in legal contexts).

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > reckoning of time > chronology > reckon the time or date [verb (intransitive)] > be dated

to bear date1440

datea1850

1440 in L. Morsbach Mittelengl. Originalurkunden (1923) 23 (MED) It apperes be ane obligacion..beryng date xx day of Decembre, the ȝhere of kyng Henry ye VIte efter ye conquest ye xviiie.

1504 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VII (Electronic ed.) Parl. Jan. 1504 §39. m. 27 All lettres patentez, beryng date at Westm', the .xxi. day of August, the .iiij.^th yere of your moste noble reign.

1602 J. Colleton Iust Def. Slandered Priestes sig. M2^v The Constitutiue Letter which M. Blackwell first shewed vnto vs, bore date the 7. of March, 1598.

1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 320. ⁋4 A long Letter bearing Date the fourth Instant.

1837 T. B. Macaulay Ld. Bacon in Edinb. Rev. July 17 12 A public letter which bears date just a month after the admission of Francis Bacon.

1875 Encycl. Brit. II. 593/2 Bearing date the 16th April 1871.

1992 Estates & Trusts Jrnl. 11 280 An application has been made to this Court for probate of a copy of an alleged will of the above named Jane King, bearing date the 30th day of September, 1980.

c. to bear the person of: to assume the character of (another person); to act the part of; (chiefly) spec. to represent, stand in for (a person), esp. formally or legally; to embody.Now chiefly with reference to Hobbes; cf. quot. 1651.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > delegated authority > action or function of a delegate or deputy > act as deputy for [verb (transitive)]

spelec960

representc1390

to bear the person of?1533

reprehend1598

act1651

personate1651

rep1951

society > communication > representation > role-playing > play the part of [verb (transitive)]

to bear the person of?1533

act1599

personate1604

comediate1624

tip1712

impersonate1715

come1721

role-play1951

?1533 tr. Erasmus Serm. f. 14 She harde all thynges..alwyes bearyng the person of an hande mayde whiche she hath professed her selfe to be.

1605 R. Verstegan Restit. Decayed Intelligence x. 320 A vice-roy, that is, hee that in the Kings absence supplyeth his place and beareth his person.

1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan i. xvi. 80 He that acteth another, is said to beare his Person.

a1742 S. Weston Serm. Var. Subj. (1747) II. ii. 33 None could bear the Person of the new Law-giver and High-preiest but the Messiah.

1870 H. J. Pye Why do we Believe? vi. 31 In almost every place we find that Peter alone is counted worthy to bear the person of the Church.

1902 J. W. Salmond Jurisprudence xxii. 541 This representative bears the person of the deceased.

2005 European Jrnl. Philos. 13 162 If it makes sense to say that, when I speak or act for you, I am sustaining or bearing your person, then it arguably makes equally good sense to say that I am offering an image or repraesentatio of how you might have comported yourself.

d. not to bear thinking about (also on, of, upon): to be too terrible to contemplate.

ΚΠ

1783 H. Cowley Bold Stroke for Husband iii. ii. 30 She can't have so much villainy in her disposition... Pho, it won't bear thinking about.

1889 H. Johnson All for Number One xiii. 165 A pauper's grave..Charlie..! No stone, no name, no nothin'! It won't bear thinking on.

1978 ‘M. M. Kaye’ Far Pavilions xv. 248 The clock on the table by his bed struck three... If she were missed, and found here, the consequences for them both did not bear thinking of.

2018 Daily Mirror (Nexis) 31 Oct. 8 We continue to heat up this beautiful world at our peril. We must all embrace greener lifestyles... The alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

P3. Phrases relating to branch III.

to bear fruit: to yield positive results. Cf. sense 23a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > be advantageous or beneficial [verb (intransitive)] > result in (adequate) advantage

to turn to accounta1632

pay1774

to bear fruit1889

to pay out1909

to pay off1946

1889 Harper's Mag. Aug. 360/2 The need for orthochromatic photography was felt, and researches were made which have now borne fruit, though the new plates are still far from perfect.

1986 K. Ishiguro Artist of Floating World 184 The changes we made after the war are now beginning to bear fruit at all levels of the company.

2016 Times (Nexis) 18 June (Business section) Question marks remain over if and when the government's aggressive policies to get businesses investing and consumers spending will bear fruit.

P4. Phrases relating to branch IV.

a. to bring to bear.

(a) To bring (something) into effective operation (against, on, or upon something else); to cause to act; to employ, exert.

ΘΚΠ

the world > existence and causation > causation > [verb (transitive)]

wieldeOE

timberc897

letc900

rearOE

doOE

i-wendeOE

workOE

makeOE

bringc1175

raisec1175

shapec1315

to owe (also have) a wold (also on wield)a1325

procurec1330

purchasec1330

causec1340

conform1377

performa1382

excite1398

induce1413

occasionate?c1450

occasionc1454

to bring about1480

gara1500

to bring to passc1513

encause1527

to work out1534

inferc1540

excitate?1549

import1550

ycause1563

frame1576

effect1581

to bring in1584

effectuatea1586

apport?1591

introduce1605

create1607

generate1607

cast1633

efficiate1639

conciliate1646

impetrate1647

state1654

accompass1668

to bring to bear1668

to bring on1671

effectivate1717

makee1719

superinduce1837

birth1913

1668 A. Cheare Words in Season 33 He brings his torments to bear upon the limbs and members of the Body.

1744 Considerations Politics France 44 My sole Intention is to prove that France acts systematically, and that our Destruction, if it be not the End, will at least prove one of the Consequences of her bringing her System to bear.

1871 J. Tyndall Fragm. Sci. I. vii. 245 No human instrument has been brought to bear upon these stones.

1921 Forum Feb. 242 All diplomatic power of the Old World's ambassadorial representation will be brought to bear against high tariffs.

2006 New Yorker 6 Nov. 13/1 The recent development of neo-Old Masterish painting..brings subtle skills to bear on vulgar subjects.

(b) To bring about, bring into existence. Now rare.

ΚΠ

1684 J. Holloway Free & Voluntary Confession 6/1 Seeing the other business had gone so far.., if they could bring it to bear in London.., I rashly said,..we will undertake it.

1775 S. Johnson Let. 13 July (1992) II. 246 I am still of opinion, that we shall bring the Oxford riding School to bear.

1844 Farmer's Mag. Apr. 441/1 How can we carry this out further? It is by practical conversation..; and how can we bring this to bear better than by friendly associations like this?

2018 Real Estate Monitor Worldwide (Nexis) 18 Jan. Newman..carried out the necessary remediation and entitlements to bring the project to bear.

(c) To place or situate (a piece of artillery) in a position to cover a target; to aim (a weapon, esp. a firearm). Also with on, upon a target.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > action of propelling missile > discharge missile [verb (intransitive)] > aim

to take aima1450

aim1566

to bring to bear1619

1619Bring to beare [see sense 34].

1761 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy III. xxii. 112 When corporal Trim had brought his two mortars to bear, he was delighted with his handy-work above measure.

1866 C. Kingsley Hereward the Wake II. ii. 29 Before a bow could be brought to bear.

1914 Infantry Training (War Office) xv. 200 The power of turning rapidly in any desired direction, or of ‘all-round traverse’, enables the gun to be brought to bear upon a fresh target without moving the tripod.

2017 G. Tallent My Absolute Darling xx. 275 Turtle brings the gun to bear on her third shot, pulls the trigger, and nothing happens.

b. to come to bear.

(a) To come into effective operation (against, on, or upon something); to be employed or exerted; to come into force.Now often in figurative contexts relating to weight or pressure.

ΚΠ

1688 E. Meredith Some Farther Remarks Acct. Dr. Tenison 116 They endeavor to spend the time in Preliminaries, so that they may be forced to break off before any Argument comes to bear.

1790 E. Burke Refl. Revol. in France 256 Here their arithmetic came to bear upon their juridical metaphysics.

1852 N. Brit. Rev. May 124/1 Those characteristics of Chalmers's mind, which..were..coming to bear upon the rising ministerial body in Scotland.

1909 Liberator (San Francisco) 3 July 4/1 It is right here that the work of the school in preparing adequately for citizenship comes to bear.

1945 Times 10 Jan. 4/1 Much has been achieved since the full weight of allied counter-measures came to bear against the Ardennes offensive.

2016 News (Murray State Univ.) (Nexis) 26 Sept. 1 Not-so-subtle pressure comes to bear on the innocent attendees to join the organization that sponsored the event.

(b) Of a piece of artillery: to come or be brought into a position to cover a target; (of a firearm) to be aimed. Now chiefly in historical contexts.

ΚΠ

1632 W. Watts Swedish Intelligencer: 2nd Pt. 146 His Ordnance could not possibly come to beare upon the bridge.

1745 P. Thomas True Jrnl. Voy. South-Seas 282 Every one firing as fast as his Gun would come to bear.

1846 A. Cleveland Grace Loveland vi. 38/1 As your gun comes to bear, slap it right into his bows.

2000 J. M. Hanna Man called Shiloh (2001) ii. i. 41 As the rifle came to bear, Dan triggered a shot at him.

Phrasal verbs

PV1. With adverbs in specialized senses. to bear away

a. transitive. To carry away (a prize, victory, etc.); to succeed in obtaining; to win. Cf. to bear off at Phrasal verbs 1. Now rare.With quot. 1847 cf. to bear the palm at palm n.¹ 2b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > make a success of [verb (transitive)] > win (any contest or prize) > win (a prize, etc.)

to bear awayc1325

getc1330

winc1330

to go away with1489

to carry away1565

carry1570

to bear off?1615

to carry off1680

to take out1976

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > make a success of [verb (transitive)] > win (any contest or prize)

win1338

vanquisha1400

to bear away?1506

obtain1530

conquer1676

gain1725

ice1908

to take out1977

c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 2596 Þe brutons at eche tyme þe maistrie awey bere.

?1506 Lytell Geste Robyn Hode (de Worde) sig. D.ii All the best archers of the north Sholde come vpon a day And that shoteth all ther best The game shall bere away.

1614 R. Carew Excellencie Eng. Tongue in W. Camden Remaines (rev. ed.) 37 The Greek and Latine haue euer borne away the prerogatiue from all other tongues.

1711 Spectator No. 548. ⁋6 Such tragedies as ended unhappily bore away the prizes.

1847 C. Brontë Let. 24 Dec. (1995) I. 584 For sterling worth Amelia no doubt bears away the palm.

1947 San Marino (Calif.) Tribune 26 June 2/2 A ‘charming’..little Philippine girl..bore away second prize.

†b. transitive. To receive and remember (a lesson, fact, etc.); to take away. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > memory > retention in the mind > memorization > memorize, learn by heart [verb (transitive)]

record?c1225

renderc1380

to can by rotec1405

con?a1425

to con by heartc1449

can1496

to bear away1530

get1540

commend to memory1550

commit?1551

to con over1605

rotea1616

lodge1622

to get off by heart1709

memorize1834

rehearse1902

memorate1983

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 449/1 I beare awaye as a well wytted chylde dothe his lesson, Je apprens.

1589 G. Puttenham Arte Eng. Poesie i. iv. 5 Easier to beare away and be retained in memorie.

1679 A. Behn Feign'd Curtizans Ep. Ded. sig. A2^v Men crowd to listen with that awfull reverence as to Holy Oracles or Divine Prophesies, and bears away [sic] the precious words to tell at home.

1792 V. Knox Serm. ii. 46 If we have received a good impression, let us bear it away uneffaced to our graves.

1922 Cent. Mag. Mar. 676/1 Brief though the meeting, Gridley bore away an impression of Miss Locke which began to take shape as an unaccountable memory of her.

2. transitive (in passive). To be strongly affected or influenced by something, esp. to the point of becoming irrational or losing self-control; to be carried away. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > passion > be or become affected with passion [verb (intransitive)] > be overwhelmed with strong emotion

sweltc1330

to bear away1584

to fall out1930

1584 Copie of Let. conc. Erle of Leycester 171 The other being so far blinded and borne away, with the same furious fume, and most impotent itching humour of ambition: as his own mother, when shee was a liue, seemed greatlie to feare his fingers,..as her life had onlie stood in his waye.

1612 T. Shelton tr. M. de Cervantes Don-Quixote: Pt. 1 i. i. 5 Ledde thus by these soothing thoughts, and borne away with the exceeding delight he found in them, he hastened all that he might, to effect his vrging desires.

1715 J. Ozell tr. F. de S. de la Mothe-Fénelon Adventures Telemachus I. ii. 86 Thus are all Men borne away by sensual Pleasures, and the witchcraft of Imagination.

1801 M. Edgeworth Forester in Moral Tales I. 141 Born away by their prejudices.

a1916 S. A. Brooke Naturalism in Eng. Poetry (1920) ix. 213 But he was sometimes borne away. He could not conceive the thought of an all-pervading Power..without becoming ravished beyond himself.

1970 Change 2 88/2 A sensitive man and rousing speaker was borne away by passion.

3. intransitive. Nautical. With for, toward, etc.: to sail away (usually before the wind) in the direction of a specified place; (without prepositional complement) to change course away from the wind (sometimes, so as to avoid a collision).

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction

steer1340

stem1487

capea1522

lie1574

put1578

bear1587

rut1588

haul1589

fetch1590

standa1594

to stand along1600

to bear away1614

work1621

to lay up1832

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction > sail away from shore or ships

to stand off1591

to stand away1600

to bear away1614

to stand out to sea1625

outstand1866

off1882

1614 W. Raleigh Hist. World v. viii. 696 The Kings Nauie hoysted saile: and hauing a faire wind, bore away toward Ephesus.

1744 W. Mountaine Seaman's Vade-mecum 190 Just as the Enemy is in the Chase's Wake, she may bear away a Point from the Wind.

1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §98 The wind being now fair for that port, we bore away for it.

1865 F. Parkman Champlain i, in Pioneers of France in New World 182 The voyagers..bore away for France.

2017 Assoc. Press Internat. (Nexis) 11 June The boat almost went sideways. The Kiwis had to bear away and called for a penalty.

to bear down

a. transitive. To push (a person or thing) to the ground; (in extended use) to overthrow; to defeat. Also figurative. Cf. downbear v.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > victory > make victorious [verb (transitive)] > conquer or overcome

overcomeeOE

shendc893

awinc1000

overwinOE

overheaveOE

to lay downa1225

mate?c1225

discomfitc1230

win1297

dauntc1300

cumber1303

scomfit1303

fenkc1320

to bear downc1330

confoundc1330

confusec1330

to do, put arrear1330

oversetc1330

vanquishc1330

conquerc1374

overthrowc1375

oppressc1380

outfighta1382

to put downa1382

discomfortc1384

threshc1384

vencuea1400

depressc1400

venque?1402

ding?a1425

cumrayc1425

to put to (also at, unto) the (also one's) worsec1425

to bring or put to (or unto) utterance1430

distrussc1430

supprisec1440

ascomfita1450

to do stress?c1450

victorya1470

to make (win) a conquest1477

convanquish1483

conquest1485

defeat1485

oversailc1485

conques1488

discomfish1488

fulyie1488

distress1489

overpress1489

cravent1490

utter?1533

to give (a person) the overthrow1536

debel1542

convince1548

foil1548

out-war1548

profligate1548

proflige?c1550

expugnate1568

expugn1570

victor1576

dismay1596

damnify1598

triumph1605

convict1607

overman1609

thrash1609

beat1611

debellate1611

import1624

to cut to (or in) pieces1632

maitrise1636

worst1636

forcea1641

outfight1650

outgeneral1767

to cut up1803

smash1813

slosh1890

ream1918

hammer1948

society > authority > subjection > subjecting or subjugation > subject [verb (transitive)] > suppress, repress, or put down

nithereOE

adweschOE

overtreadOE

quellOE

to trample or tread under foot (also feet)c1175

adauntc1325

to bear downc1330

oppressc1380

repressc1391

overyoke?a1425

quencha1425

to bear overc1425

supprisec1440

overquell?c1450

farec1460

supprime1490

downbeara1500

stanch1513

undertread1525

downtread1536

suppress1537

to set one's foot on the neck of1557

depress?a1562

overbear1565

surpress1573

trample1583

repose1663

spiflicate1749

sort1815

to trample down1853

to sit on ——1915

to clamp down1924

crack down1940

tamp1959

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > have or gain mastery or superiority over [verb (transitive)] > overcome or overwhelm

overcomeeOE

overgangOE

overnimOE

overswivec1175

foldc1275

overgoc1275

to bear downc1330

oversetc1330

outrayc1390

overleada1393

overreach?a1425

overwhelmc1425

to whelve overc1440

overruna1475

surprise1474

overpress1489

surbatea1500

overhale1531

overbear1535

overcrow1550

disable1582

surgain1586

overpower1597

overman1609

to come over ——1637

to run down1655

overpower1667

compel1697

to get over ——1784

overget1877

to grab (also take) by the balls1934

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > downward motion > causing to come or go down > cause to come or go down [verb (transitive)] > bring to the ground/lay low > push or pull down

to-hieldc1275

to bear downc1330

to shove downc1400

rivea1425

reach1483

c1330 (?a1300) Sir Tristrem (1886) l. 1038 Moraunt..Rode wiþ..raundoun..And þouȝt to bere him doun.

c1410 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (BL Add.) (1879) VII. 319 [a1387 St. John's Cambr. Whanne þei] haveþ y-bore doun here enemyes þann þey [a1387 St. John's Cambr. continues bereþ doun hem self].

a1500 (?a1449) in Minor Poems J. Lydgate (1911) i. 25 Pride was bore downe with humilite.

1576 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent 291 He bare it [sc. a Door] cleane downe before him, and so both escaped.

1680 Bp. G. Burnet Some Passages Life Rochester (1692) 98 A Doctrine which was born down and persecuted.

1840 T. B. Macaulay Ranke's Hist. in Ess. (1854) 550/2 His activity and zeal bore down all opposition.

2014 K. Foley Make me Melt 201 They bore her down to the floor and wrenched her arms behind her back.

†b. transitive. figurative. To beat (a person) in argument or debate; to argue strongly against (a person) that something is the case. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > testing > refutation, disproof > refute, disprove [verb (transitive)]

answerOE

bitavelena1225

allayc1275

confoundc1384

concludea1400

conclusea1400

forblenda1400

gainsaya1400

rejag1402

to bear downc1405

redarguea1425

repugn?a1425

reverse?c1430

improvec1443

reprovea1513

dissolve1529

revince1529

convince1530

confute1533

refel1534

refute1545

void1570

evict1583

infringe1590

reprehend1597

revert1598

evince1608

repel1613

to take off1618

unbubblea1640

invalid1643

invalidate1649

remove1652

retund1653

effronta1657

dispute1659

unreason1661

have1680

demolish1691

to blow sky-high1819

c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Miller's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 643 Whan he spak, he was anon bore doun With hende Nicholas and Alisoun.

1526 Bible (Tyndale) Acts xii. 15 She bare them doune that hit was even so.

1641 J. Milton Of Prelatical Episc. 23 Though hee himselfe..should beare us downe that there bee three.

1674 N. Fairfax Treat. Bulk & Selvedge 87 [He] roundly bears us down, That two such worlds would touch without more ado.

a1790 B. Franklin Autobiogr. (2003) 61 He was naturally more eloquent,..and sometimes as I thought bore me down more by his Fluency than by the Strength of his Reasons.

a. transitive. To cause (something) to move or fall in a downward direction by means of weight or pressure; to press or weigh down. Also (and now chiefly) figurative: to weigh (a person or organization) down with adversity, responsibility, etc.; to overburden; to oppress. Frequently in passive.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > [verb (transitive)] > exert pressure on

i-thrastc900

crowdOE

pressc1330

to bear down1440

impress1598

lean1736

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > downward motion > causing to come or go down > cause to come or go down [verb (transitive)] > press or force down

downbeara1382

pressc1425

to bear down1440

depress1526

suppress1542

detrude1548

sway1857

to force down1917

Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 31 Bere downe, or presse downe, comprimo, deprimo. Beere downe vndyr þe fote, subpedito. Bere downe, or caste downe to grownde, sterno, prosterno.

1569 G. Glemhan tr. P. M. Vermigli Most Godly Prayers sig. Kkvi^v We be here oppressed with the most greeuous burthen of our heynous sinnes, and borne downe by reason thereof, with an exceeding great waight of afflictions.

1664 J. Playford Brief Introd. Skill Musick (ed. 4) ii. 90 Bearing it [sc. a string of an instrument] hard down with the end of your finger.

1748 J. Davidson in tr. Virgil Æneid v. 67 (note) The Palm is a fit Emblem of Fortitude, because it is not crushed nor borne down by any Weight, but still maintains its Growth.

1802 E. Forster tr. Arab. Nights III. 137 The branches..were almost borne down with the weight of the fruit.

1936 M. R. Anand Coolie (1993) v. 256 He saw some coolies and hill men trudging up to Simla, borne down beneath the sacks of foodstuffs on their backs.

2013 European Union News (Nexis) 20 July It's so borne down by financial burdens that it cannot operate sufficiently.

b. intransitive. To contract the abdominal muscles and diaphragm so as to raise the pressure within the abdomen, esp. during labour or defecation. Cf. push v. 1c.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > source or principle of life > birth > confinement > be confined [verb (intransitive)] > be in labour > bear down

push1527

to bear down1672

1672 H. Chamberlen tr. F. Mauriceau Dis. Women with Child ii. vii. 183 She must advise the Woman not to forward her Pains, lest by bearing down she engage the Child too much in the passage.

1846 C. J. Sempel tr. S. Hahnemann Chronic Dis. V. 121 Even when the stool is not hard he has to bear down considerably.

2014 J. de Kock & R. Mokhondo in J. de Kock & C. van der Walt Maternal & Newborn Care iv. xiv. 6 She will start pushing when the contractions are strong enough to evoke an involuntary urge to bear down.

c. intransitive. Of the sun, rain, etc.: to come down strongly; to beat down (on or upon a person or thing).

ΚΠ

1829 J. Kennedy tr. Æschylus Agamemnon 84 Dealing death ev'n through the feather'd tribe..the' Idæan snow Bore down.

1841 C. J. Lever Charles O'Malley lxxii, in Dublin Univ. Mag. Mar. 399/2 The rain bore down again in torrents.

1921 Catholic World Dec. 381 The fine, stinging sleet bore down upon him.

2012 D. VanLiere Good Dream 77 The sun bears down and Davis loosens his tie.

a. intransitive. Nautical. To sail with the wind.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > use of wind > avail oneself of a wind [verb (intransitive)] > sail before the wind

scud1582

spoon1588

spoom1628

to stand down1635

to bear down1671

skid1815

to roll down to St. Helena1834

1671 J. Seller Coasting Pilot 4/1 Bear down toward the Naze, according to your wind.

1709 London Gaz. No. 4521/2 We all bore down to secure what Merchant ships we could.

1852 Athenæum 25 June 562/1 Sir Hugh Palliser..made the signal for ships to windward to bear down into the Admiral's wake.

2018 Kitimat Northern Sentinel (Nexis) 17 Nov. Since we now didn't have an anchor, we had no choice but to bear down and get to our next spot without stopping.

b. intransitive. Originally Nautical. With upon or on a person or thing (originally an enemy ship). To proceed directly and forcefully towards a person or thing; to approach rapidly and purposefully, esp. in an intimidating manner.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement towards a thing, person, or position > move towards or approach (a thing, place, or person) [verb (transitive)] > forcefully

to bear down1673

society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > operations or manoeuvres > perform operation or manoeuvre [verb (transitive)] > approach

to bear down1673

1673 Exact Relation Engagem. His Majesties Fleet sig. B4^v The Dutch being then to Windward, began to bear down upon him.

1716 London Gaz. No. 5455/3 Our Fleet..bore down upon them..keeping the Wind of them.

1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 15 Both consuls bore down on the left wing of the enemy.

1923 ‘R. Crompton’ William Again viii. 138 A large, motherly woman bore down upon him with a glass of milk and a bun.

2005 Independent 22 Sept. 28/1 More than one million people were under evacuation orders yesterday..as Hurricane Rita bore down on the central Texas coast.

4. intransitive. U.S. Baseball. To play with the utmost effort. Now also more generally: to work or try as hard as possible; to give one's all.

ΚΠ

1925 Alton (Illinois) Evening Tel. 7 Mar. 6/2 (headline) Pitchers bear down in work in the South.

1970 R. Coover Universal Baseball Assoc. ii. 63 The Knicks could..still, by bearing down with their two Aces in the last two games, come out of the series better off than they went in.

2009 D. F. Wallace in New Yorker 9 Mar. 63/1 Then he did two more returns, checked the clock real quick, then two more, then bore down and did three in a row.

† to bear forth

1. transitive. To transform (something) into something more advanced; to cause (something) to develop. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > existence and causation > existence > reality or real existence or actuality > make real [verb (transitive)] > bring forth from latent condition

to bear fortha1475

a1475 Bk. Quinte Essence (1889) 11 It beriþ forþ þat blood anoon aftir into fleisch.

2. transitive. To conduct, manage (a process or situation). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > doing > activity or occupation > occupy or engage (a person) [verb (transitive)] > conduct (an affair)

demeanc1315

to see for ——1405

to go in hand with (also to do something)c1450

treatc1450

behavea1529

ordera1535

handle1548

manage1579

to bear forth1631

conduct1632

1631 J. Weever Anc. Funerall Monuments 212 This Duke had borne forth his youth with better respect then Prince Henry his brother had done.

to bear in

1. intransitive. Nautical. To sail towards; to approach. Also with with, †for, etc., a specified place. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction > sail towards shore

to stand in1582

to bear in1587

to bear with —1587

to fall in1598

1587 J. White in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) iii. 770 The 16. of October we made land, but we knew not what land it was, bearing in with the same land at that day.

a1621 W. Strachey True Reportory Wracke Sir T. Gates in S. Purchas Pilgrimes (1625) IV. ix. vi. 1748 We set sayle againe, and having got over the Barre, bore in for the Cape.

1686 T. D'Urfey Common-wealth of Women ii. i. 11 Du Pier: What's the Coast. Boatswain: We know not yet. Let's bear in with all the Sail we can.

1837 S. Cumings Western Pilot (new ed.) 18 Now bear in till within 20 yards of the shore.

1931 Yachting Nov. 39/2 The tide still helping us, we bore in with slightly started sheets toward the lightship.

2. transitive (in passive). Of a fact, opinion, etc.: to be strongly or forcibly fixed in (a person's mind, conscience, etc.); to be impressed on or upon (a person).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > clearness, lucidity > become clear [verb (intransitive)]

to bear in1637

to speak (also express, tell) volumes1803

to clear up1875

to come together1907

1637 G. Gillespie Dispute against Eng.-Popish Ceremonies i. 6 They are bereaved of their Liberty as well as if an opinion of necessity were borne in upon their consciences.

1818 Q. Rev. 18 537 It had been born in upon his mind..that some great man..was to be cut off.

1852 J. H. Newman Disc. Univ. Educ. 103 It is borne in upon the many..as self-evident, that religious men would not thus be jealous.

2006 D. C. Dennett Breaking Spell (2007) Pref. p. xiv The urgency of the message was borne in on me again and again by current events.

to bear off

†1. transitive. To turn aside, repel (a blow or stroke); to ward off; (also) to protect from (adverse weather). Obsolete.In quot. a1713 in figurative context.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > safety > escape > escape from [verb (transitive)] > ward off harm

withhold13..

defendc1330

to bear offc1380

withstand1398

shielda1400

repela1450

to keep off1548

repulse1560

warda1586

fence1589

shelter1621

ward1759

fend-off1830

to fend back1877

society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > stroke with weapon > strike with a weapon [verb (transitive)] > ward off stroke

to bear offc1380

keepc1450

c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 572 (MED) Þe Sarsyn anon bar of þe stroke with ys scheld.

a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) ii. f. 37^v A demie, bukram cassok..which will neither beare of winde nor wether.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) ii. i. 18 Here's neither bush, nor shrub to beare off any weather at all: and another Storme brewing.

1641 J. Milton Of Reformation 27 His Helmet, to beare off blowes in battell.

a1713 T. Ellwood Hist. Life (1714) xix. 305 The stubborn Quakers brake their Strength, and bore off the Blow from those other Dissenters.

2. transitive. Backgammon. To remove (one's pieces) from the board according to a roll of the dice, once all of them have been moved onto one's inner table (table n. 4b).

ΚΠ

1550 J. Heywood Hundred Epigrammes liii. sig. Bviii^v I will no more plaie at tables with the: Whan we come to bearyng, thou begylest me, In bearyng of thy men.

1734 R. Seymour Compl. Gamester (ed. 5) I. 57 You play your Men as fast as you can, into his Tables..; which being done, you bear off your Men.

1850 H. G. Bohn et al. Hand-bk. Games iv. 435 If one player has not borne off his first man before the other has borne off his last, he loses a ‘gammon’.

2013 @Ensor42 17 May in twitter.com (accessed 19 Feb. 2019) A player can only bear off checkers once all of their pieces are in.

3. intransitive. Nautical. Of a ship: to move away from the land or another vessel.

ΚΠ

1594 R. Bowes Let. 10 May (P.R.O.: SP 52/53) f. 48 The companye would not suffer him, and caused him to beare off untill the night was comed and the tyde paste.

1627 J. Smith Sea Gram. ix. 44 When she would not come neere the land, but goeth more Roome-way than her couse [sic], wee say she beares off.

1823 C. de Roquefeuil Voy. Round World 36 The depth, (sixty-four fathoms,) being too great to allow me to anchor, I bore off.

2015 ABC Premium News (Austral.) (Nexis) 26 Dec. We had to bear off to avoid a starboard-port collision.

4. transitive. To carry off (something stolen or won); to take away (a person) against his or her will. Cf. to bear away 1a at Phrasal verbs 1.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > make a success of [verb (transitive)] > win (any contest or prize) > win (a prize, etc.)

to bear awayc1325

getc1330

winc1330

to go away with1489

to carry away1565

carry1570

to bear off?1615

to carry off1680

to take out1976

?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xiv. 364 Many games About Heroes Sepulchers, mine eyes Haue seene perform'd: But these, bore off the prize.

1813 W. Scott Rokeby iii. xxvi. 141 We are enow to storm the hold, Bear off the plunder and the dame.

1905 Edinb. Rev. Apr. 341 He captures a Chinese princess, and then in another expedition bears off a Nepalese princess; these were among the prizes of his fierce and gloomy reign.

2017 Western Mail (Cardiff) (Nexis) 22 Nov. 18 Teenage lads regularly raided the efforts of the competition.., bearing off their booty of fuel to be added to their own pyre.

†5. transitive. Nautical. To push (something which is being hoisted or lowered) away from the side of a ship. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > impelling or driving > pushing and pulling > push and pull [verb (transitive)] > push > aside

shouldera1400

to bear off1627

shunt1706

elbow1712

horn1851

breast1853

shove1861

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > going away > causing to go away > command to go away [verb (transitive)] > drive away > by pushing

push1530

to bear off1627

1627 J. Smith Sea Gram. ix. 44 A ship boord, beare off is vsed to euery thing you would thrust from you.

1815 W. Burney Falconer's New Universal Dict. Marine (rev. ed.) 36/2 ‘Bear off the boat!’ ‘Bear off that cask!’

1915 T. J. Michie Treat. Law Carriers IV. vii. xxxvii. 3903 It is not the duty of a mate in loading casks of wine from a lighter,..to..bear off with his own hands the casks from the side.

to bear out

a. transitive. To corroborate, confirm (a fact or assertion). Also: to support, back up (a person) (now only in something he or she has claimed).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > testing > attestation, witness, evidence > attest, bear witness [verb (transitive)] > support, corroborate

fasteneOE

i-sothea925

sustainc1325

witness1362

approvec1380

confirmc1384

affirma1393

justifya1393

to bear outa1475

corrobore1485

uphold1485

nourisha1522

underpinc1522

to countenance outa1529

favoura1530

soothe1544

strengthen1548

comfort1593

second1596

accredit1598

evidencea1601

warrantise1600

compact1608

back1612

thickena1616

accreditate1654

shoulder1674

support1691

corroborate1706

carry1835

to give (also lend) colour1921

a1475 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery (1905) i. 245 (MED) As the charter..bare out and witnessith.

1551 R. Robinson tr. T. More Vtopia sig. Oii He helpeth and beareth out simple wittes.

1619 E. M. Bolton tr. Florus Rom. Hist. 230 Thou didst defend thy selfe..against that people which had all the earth to backe, and beare them out.

1801 M. Edgeworth Forester in Moral Tales I. 204 You think, I suppose, that your friends..will bear you out.

1867 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest I. vi. 441 A splendid panegyric which is fully borne out by his recorded acts.

1997 Time Out 10 Sept. 31/1 He claims, and his tweed jacket and lace-ups bear him out, to be resistant to fashion.

2017 Pretoria News (S. Afr.) (Nexis) 31 July 9 It is a fact, borne out by statistics, that more men than women are involved in drunken-driving related incidents.

†b. transitive. To praise publicly; to extol. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > commend or praise [verb (transitive)]

heryc735

mickleeOE

loveOE

praise?c1225

upraisea1300

alosec1300

commenda1340

allow1340

laud1377

lose1377

avauntc1380

magnifya1382

enhancea1400

roosea1400

recommendc1400

recommanda1413

to bear up?a1425

exalt1430

to say well (also evil, ill, etc.) of (also by)1445

laudifyc1470

gloryc1475

advance1483

to bear out1485

prizec1485

to be or to have in laudationa1500

joya1500

extol1509

collaud1512

concend?1521

solemnize?1521

celebrate1522

stellify1523

to set up1535

well-word1547

predicate1552

glorify1557

to set forth1565

admire1566

to be up with1592

voice1594

magnificate1598

plaud1598

concelebrate1599

encomionize1599

to con laud1602

applauda1616

panegyrize1617

acclamate1624

to set offa1625

acclaim1626

raise1645

complement1649

encomiate1651

voguec1661

phrase1675

to set out1688

Alexander1700

talk1723

panegyricize1777

bemouth1799

eulogizea1810

rhapsodize1819

crack up1829

rhapsody1847

1485 W. Caxton tr. Paris & Vienne (1957) 9 Somme were that..bare oute the beaulte of the syster of the kyng.

†c. transitive. To claim, put out (that one is or has achieved something). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > information > publishing or spreading abroad > publish or spread abroad [verb (transitive)]

sowc888

blowc1275

dispeple1297

to do abroadc1300

fame1303

publyc1350

defamea1382

publisha1382

open?1387

proclaima1393

slandera1400

spreada1400

abroachc1400

throwc1400

to give outa1425

promote?a1425

noisec1425

publicc1430

noisec1440

divulgea1464

to put outc1475

skail1487

to come out witha1500

bruit1525

bruita1529

to bear out1530

divulgate1530

promulgate1530

propale?1530

ventilate1530

provulgate1535

sparple1536

sparse1536

promulge1539

disperse1548

publicate1548

forthtell1549

hurly-burly?1550

propagate1554

to set abroada1555

utter1561

to set forth1567

blaze1570

evulgate1570

scatter1576

rear?1577

to carry about1585

pervulgate1586

celebrate?1596

propalate1598

vent1602

evulge1611

to give forth1611

impublic1628

ventilate1637

disseminate1643

expose1644

emit1650

to put about1664

to send abroad1681

to get abroad1688

to take out1697

advertise1710

forward1713

to set abouta1715

circulate1780

broadcast1829

vent1832

vulgate1851

debit1879

float1883

society > morality > dueness or propriety > [verb (transitive)] > claim > claim acknowledgement or recognition

to bear out1530

challenge1615

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 450/2 This felowe beareth it out, as he were a great gentlyman.

1629 J. Gaule Practique Theories Christs Predict. 334 Yet he beares out, As he'd preuent, or pittie the disaster.

1701 B. Jenks Medit. vii. lxvi. 330 They bore it out, That they were Abraham's children.

2. intransitive. Originally Painting. Of a colour: to appear to the eye, esp. vividly or effectively; to stand out. Cf. to bring out 3 at bring v. Phrasal verbs 1. Now rare.

ΚΠ

1787 W. Williams Ess. Mech. Oil Colours ii. 28 The artist will have much..satisfaction to find his colours..bear out with such force and brilliancy.

1855 J. Edwards Paint. Oil Colours 28 The colours of pigments ‘bear out’ with effects differing according to the liquids with which they are combined.

2016 @ColourInSA 15 Nov. in twitter.com (accessed 25 May 2019) The colours bear out brightest on white fabric!

† to bear outward(s)

Obsolete.

intransitive. Esp. of a part of the body: to project beyond the adjacent parts; to stick out, protrude.

ΚΠ

1525 Anothomia in tr. H. von Brunschwig Noble Experyence Handy Warke Surg. xi. sig. C.ii/1 These .ii. bonys is made the hole bone & proporcyon of the hele, wherin is festynyd the hole fote, and beryth outward behynde for þ^e great bondis that be in it.

1556 T. Hill tr. B. Cocles Brief Epitomye Phisiognomie xx. sig. C.ii^v The teathe longe like dogges teathe , and strong set and properlie bearinge outwarde, declare that man to be a very gluttonous persone.

1611 R. Peake tr. S. Serlio 3rd Bk. Archit. iv. f. 67 The workeman was very iudicious, that he suffered the Corona to go through vnbroken; and suffered the other parts of the Corona to beare outwards.

1741 J. Stockton tr. C. de Saint-Yves New Treat. Dis. Eyes ii. i. 150 The Membranes of the Globe become thick, as it were fleshy, and afterwards carcinomatous; so that, the Distention of the Globe hindering it to lie in its Orbit, it bears outwards.

† to bear over [Compare overbear v.]

1. transitive. To delay the use of (something); to hold or keep over. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Prov. xxix. 11 A wis man berth ouer, and kepith vnto afterward.

2. transitive. To transfer (something) to somebody else; to pass (something) over to another. Cf. overbear v. 1. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. x. 8 Rewme fro folc in to folc is born ouer.

3. transitive. To push (a person or thing) to the ground by weight or physical force; to overwhelm; (also figurative) to overthrow, overcome (a person) by power or influence. Cf. overbear v. 2. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > subjection > subjecting or subjugation > subject [verb (transitive)] > suppress, repress, or put down

nithereOE

adweschOE

overtreadOE

quellOE

to trample or tread under foot (also feet)c1175

adauntc1325

to bear downc1330

oppressc1380

repressc1391

overyoke?a1425

quencha1425

to bear overc1425

supprisec1440

overquell?c1450

farec1460

supprime1490

downbeara1500

stanch1513

undertread1525

downtread1536

suppress1537

to set one's foot on the neck of1557

depress?a1562

overbear1565

surpress1573

trample1583

repose1663

spiflicate1749

sort1815

to trample down1853

to sit on ——1915

to clamp down1924

crack down1940

tamp1959

c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) iii. l. 1132 (MED) Meneste..with a spere..Bar him ouer & made hym for to falle.

1529 T. More Dyaloge Dyuers Maters xvi. f. xx^v Loth wer I to hyt yt wyth a full shot and a sharpe as I haue sene sum wyth suche reasons cleeue the pryk in twayne, yt they semyd to bere ouer the but.

1565 W. Allen Def. & Declar. Doctr. Purgatory ii. v. f. 168 Him doo I name..: whose onely worde with oute all proufe..woulde beare ouer all these pety protestantes putt together.

1633 Bp. J. Hall Plaine Explic. Hard Texts i. 516 He shall..beare over, and kill those that stood against him.

1783 S. W. Prenties Narr. Shipwreck on Cape Breton (ed. 5) 16 As soon as the ship had grounded, the sea began to bear over her in every part.

1839 E. F. Pollard Green Mountain Boys xii. 106 He found himself thus in the midst of them, and borne over by the very impetus of the mass.

† to bear through

transitive. To pierce or stab (a person) through the body; to run (a person) through. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) III. 1193 So fyersly they mette togydirs and so felonsly that aythir bare other thorow.

to bear up

1. transitive. To carry (a person or thing) to a higher place or position. Also: to hold up while carrying.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)]

to bear upeOE

underbearc950

bearOE

holdc1000

weighc1200

to hold up1297

upholda1300

sustainc1330

undersetc1330

comforta1382

underbear1382

upbear1390

sustaina1398

upkeepc1412

carrya1425

supporta1425

chargea1500

convey1514

avoke1529

confirm1542

stay1548

to carry up1570

bolster1581

lift1590

upstay1590

atlas1593

sustent1605

statuminatea1628

firm1646

appui1656

establish1664

shoulder1674

to keep up1681

upheave1729

withhold1769

the world > space > relative position > high position > set in a high position [verb (transitive)] > hold up or aloft

to bear upeOE

bearc1380

to show up?1531

eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) iv. xxiv. 340 Þa geseah heo þære foresprecenan Godes þeowe sawle Hilde þære abbudissan..to heofonum up borenne beon [L. ad caelum ferri].

c1400 Prose Versions New Test.: Prol. (Selwyn) (1904) 10 Y haue bor ȝou up on egles wynges & y-take ȝou to my-self.

1483 tr. Adam of Eynsham Reuelation xii They ware bore vppe an hy by the grete vyolente flamys of fier.

?1504 S. Hawes Example of Vertu sig. ff.iv Dame grace..bare vp her trayne.

1612 I. M. tr. Most Famous Hist. Meruine i. xv. 101 Thus was the faire lady Gratiana borne vp to the cloudes.

1730 R. Witham Annot. New Test. I. (Matt. xxvii. 31) 128 Whether it were that they made Simon carry the whole cross, or whether he only bore it up behind; is not expressed.

1897 M. MacDonagh Bk. of Parl. x. 188 Ladies-in-waiting were grouped behind the young Queen, bearing up her long train.

2016 L. Serafim To look on Death No More (e-book ed.) He told Danae to close her eyes and imagine they were leaving the earth behind, that Elektra was bearing them up into the sky.

2. transitive. To hold (a person or thing) up and prevent him, her, or it from falling or sinking; to support, keep up.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] > specifically a person: keep from falling

to bear upOE

steady1848

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) i. 185 Þæt flod weox ða, & bær up þone arc.

a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 95 Ðe postes..sculen beren up ðis weorc.

a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. liv. 269 Þe foot..beriþ vp al þe body.

1611 Bible (King James) Judges xvi. 29 The two middle pillars..on which it was borne vp.

1848 New Hampsh. Statesman 21 July The water bore her up, as if she sat on a swing.

1905 Publ. Cupples & Leon in Publishers' Trade List Ann. If his cupped and blistered legs would bear him up, Mr. Lent would qualify as a rival of Simeon Ford as an after-dinner speaker.

2000 Chaucer Rev. 35 182 The pillars of poets that bear up the ceiling in Fame's palace symbolically underscore the importance of poetic tradition.

†3. transitive. To lift or raise (the head, feathers, etc.). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > raising > make to go up or cause to rise [verb (transitive)] > raise > specifically a part of the body

to bear upc1175

to cast upc1384

to throw upa1413

erect1609

to up with1766

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1297 Forr bule lateþþ modiliȝ. & bereþþ upp hiss hæfedd.

c1460 (a1449) J. Lydgate Minor Poems (1934) ii. 765 The Pecok..Berth up his fethrys displayed like a sayl.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost vii. 470 The swift Stag..Bore up his branching head.

1889 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Oct. 447/2 The great brute rose to his touch, closing its eyes, and bearing up its head like a cat.

a. transitive. To exalt, raise up (a person or thing). Formerly also reflexive: †to exalt oneself; to promote oneself on the strength of a specified circumstance (obsolete). Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > pride > pretension to superiority > pretend to superiority [verb (reflexive)]

to bear up?a1425

authorize1590

exalt1611

ritz1911

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > commend or praise [verb (transitive)]

heryc735

mickleeOE

loveOE

praise?c1225

upraisea1300

alosec1300

commenda1340

allow1340

laud1377

lose1377

avauntc1380

magnifya1382

enhancea1400

roosea1400

recommendc1400

recommanda1413

to bear up?a1425

exalt1430

to say well (also evil, ill, etc.) of (also by)1445

laudifyc1470

gloryc1475

advance1483

to bear out1485

prizec1485

to be or to have in laudationa1500

joya1500

extol1509

collaud1512

concend?1521

solemnize?1521

celebrate1522

stellify1523

to set up1535

well-word1547

predicate1552

glorify1557

to set forth1565

admire1566

to be up with1592

voice1594

magnificate1598

plaud1598

concelebrate1599

encomionize1599

to con laud1602

applauda1616

panegyrize1617

acclamate1624

to set offa1625

acclaim1626

raise1645

complement1649

encomiate1651

voguec1661

phrase1675

to set out1688

Alexander1700

talk1723

panegyricize1777

bemouth1799

eulogizea1810

rhapsodize1819

crack up1829

rhapsody1847

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > majesty, glory, or grandeur > exaltation or glorification > exalt or glorify [verb (transitive)]

heavec825

higheOE

brightenOE

clarifya1340

glorifya1340

enhancec1374

stellifyc1384

biga1400

exalt?a1400

raisea1400

shrinea1400

to bear up?a1425

enhighc1440

erect?a1475

assumec1503

amount1523

dignifya1530

to set up1535

extol1545

enthronize1547

augment1567

sublimate?1567

sublime1568

assumptc1571

begoda1576

royalize1589

suscitate1598

swell1601

consecrate1605

realize1611

reara1616

sphere1615

ingreata1620

superexalta1626

soara1627

ascend1628

rise1628

embroider1629

apotheose1632

grandize1640

engreaten1641

engrandizea1652

mount1651

intronificate1653

magnificent1656

superposit1661

grandify1665

heroify1677

apotheosize1695

enthrone1699

aggrandize1702

pantheonize1801

hoist1814

princify1847

queen1880

heroize1887

?a1425 (a1415) Lanterne of Liȝt (Harl.) (1917) 10 (MED) Þe fifþe synne is envie..as whanne þi neiȝbour is wise, wel gouerned, preisid or born vp.

1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 188 Thou ouercomest them that bere vp themselfe.

1695 B. Jenks Liberty of Prayer Asserted ii. ii. 152 Whoever thinks to bear himself up, with a Credit Usurpt at the loss of God's Honour, who will be sure to make his Despisers Contemptible.

1783 Henry's Treat. Baptism Abridged vi. 235 Much of the mercy of having children lies in this, that we have them..not only to honour us, and to bear up our names, but to honour God, and to bear up his name in the world.

1953 Fitchburg (Mass.) Sentinel 23 May 3/4 To bear up God, to seek His wisdom..lifts all life.

†b. transitive. To support or endorse (a person) in a course of action; to uphold (a principle); to support (a cause). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > support or encouragement > support or encourage [verb (transitive)] > a cause, principle, etc.

to bear upc1475

patrocinate1593

patrocinea1633

upstand1722

to fight the good fight1809

c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 64 Now are iust men oft wrongid, and schrewis..born vp in iuel.

1592 J. Throckmorton Petition most Excellent Maiestie 31 The writers against the gouuernement of Bishops do maliciouslie diffame the Princes that beare it vp.

1606 L. Bryskett Disc. Ciuill Life 20 Persons to assist my accuser, and beare vp his cause.

1658 O. Cromwell Speech 25 Jan. in Lett. & Speeches (1857) III. 343 Through want to bear up our Honour at Sea.

1857 Home & Foreign Rec. Free Church Scotl. Nov. 94/2 We have supported and borne up false creeds.

c. intransitive. To stand firm, hold out against adversity or under difficult circumstances; to keep up one's courage or spirits; to cope. Now also in neutral sense: to fare, get on.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > oppose [verb (intransitive)] > resist > maintain resistance

to hold out1585

to bear upa1616

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iii. ii. 3 Which rais'd in me An vndergoing stomacke, to beare vp Against what should ensue.

1653 H. More Antidote against Atheisme i. ix. 26 Bearing up as well as they can.

1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 256. ¶8 To bear up under Scandal and Defamation.

1796 E. Burke Two Lett. Peace Regicide Directory France in Wks. (1842) II. 291 Bearing up against those vicissitudes of fortune.

1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin I. iii. 37 Bear up, now; and good-by; for I'm going.

1928 S. Kaye-Smith Iron & Smoke iv. 270 ‘How are you, Isabel?’ she heard her own voice ask nervously. ‘Oh, bearing up, as the boys say. Or getting on as well as can be expected.’

2012 London Evening Standard (Nexis) 18 Dec. 15 I asked one teenager how she was bearing up and she answered bravely that she was fine.

d. transitive. To keep up the courage or spirits of (a person).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > pleasure > cheerfulness > make cheerful [verb (transitive)] > keep cheerful

to bear up1643

1643 J. Caryl Expos. 3 First Chaps. Iob i. 202 Consider the two extreames, the beginning and the ending, and that will beare thee up in the middle condition.

1750 S. Johnson Rambler No. 68 (1753) I Most are born up by some private Satisfaction..which they never communicate.

1852 Hammers & Ploughshares iv. 27 What hope have you to bear you up?

2010 Lancs. Tel. (Nexis) 13 Feb. You were borne up by knowing there were so many people praying for you.

5. intransitive. Nautical. To put the helm of a ship up so as to turn into the wind, often in order to avoid an obstacle or collision. Also with for indicating a destination. Cf. to bear away 3 at Phrasal verbs 1.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (transitive)] > set a ship's course > sail towards or head for

to seek up14..

to bear up1582

to stand for ——a1594

to seek up for1632

1582 N. Lichefield tr. F. L. de Castanheda 1st Bk. Hist. Discouerie E. Indias xlix f. 107 The ship that Steuen de la Gama went in did beare vp onely with her fore saile, and his sprit Saile all to torne.

1611 Bible (King James) Acts xxvii. 15 The ship..could not beare vp into [Geneva make way against] the winde.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) i. ii. 157 Beare vp, & boord 'em.

1778 J. Cook Jrnl. 3 June (1967) III. i. 373 Being past the rocks, they bore up to the Southward.

1798 in Ld. Nelson Dispatches & Lett. (1845) III. 48 Nelson immediately bore up under all sail, for Alexandria.

1840 Naut. Mag. & Naval Chron. 203 An established rule in nautical affairs: that the ship on the larboard tack shall bear up, to avoid coming in collision with vessels on the starboard tack, which are expected to keep their wind.

1920 H. W. Richmond Navy in War of 1739–48 II. vi. 120 He was obliged to bear up for Mahon, intending to refit as quickly as possible and then resume his station off the coast of Provence.

2007 Capital (Annapolis, Maryland) (Nexis) 8 July c9 As the wind came over the starboard side, Alinghi had the right-of-way, and New Zealand failed to keep clear. Alinghi had to bear up to avoid a hit.

PV2. With prepositions in specialized senses.† to bear upon —

1. transitive. To accuse a person of (something); (also) to attribute (something) to someone. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > testing > accusation, charge > accuse [verb (transitive)] > lay to one's charge, impute

witec893

challenge1297

weena1300

to bear upon —c1300

likenc1400

layc1425

to put upa1438

object1447

establish1483

impose1484

reproach1490

annotea1513

lade1535

appoint1553

burden1559

clap1609

to charge (a fault, etc.) on, upon, against (a person)1611

upcast1825

c1300 (c1250) Floris & Blauncheflur (Cambr.) (1966) l. 331 He wule..bere vpon þe [i.e. thee] felonie.

c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 363 The seid large endewing born upon Constantyn to be mad to Siluester Pope was neuere doon.

c1475 Antichrist & Disciples in J. H. Todd Three Treat. J. Wycklyffe (1851) p. cxxxiii Crist was..beten, & shourged, and false borne vpon.

2. transitive. figurative. to bear (a rein) upon: to control, restrain, as though with a horse's rein. Cf. rein n.¹ 2a. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > control > [verb (transitive)]

wieldeOE

redeOE

temperc1000

wisc1000

yemec1000

aweldc1175

guy13..

rule1340

attemperc1374

stightlea1375

justifya1393

governa1400

moder1414

control1495

moderate1534

rein1557

manage1560

sway1587

to bear (a rein) upon1603

bridle1615

ephorize1647

puppet1840

coact1855

boss1856

run1869

swing1873

society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restrain [verb (transitive)] > hold in check

bridleOE

tempera1050

chastec1230

to hold inc1300

straina1340

stintc1366

attemperc1380

restraina1387

rulea1391

ward1390

coarctc1400

obtemper?a1425

to hold or keep (a person) shortc1425

compesce1430

stent1488

coactc1520

repressa1525

compress1526

control1548

snaffle1555

temperatea1568

brank1574

halter1577

curb1588

shortena1599

to bear (a rein) upon1603

check1629

coerceate1657

bit1825

throttle1862

hold1901

1603 S. Daniel Def. Ryme in Panegyrike (new ed.) sig. H5^v The best reine, the strongst hand to make men keepe their way, is that which their enemy beares vpon them.

1610 J. Healey tr. St. Augustine Citie of God xxii. xxii. 903 The hand of God bearing a raine vpon our condemned soules.

a1682 Sir T. Browne Christian Morals (1716) iii. 114 Bear not too slack reins upon Pleasure.

to bear with —

1. intransitive. To be patient with or tolerant towards (a person); to make allowances for; to put up with (a person or thing).Now frequently in bear with me: be patient while I do or finish something.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > calmness > patience > endure patiently [verb (transitive)] > bear with or tolerate

forbearc897

tholec950

bearOE

abidec1300

bidea1325

takec1330

suffer1340

wielda1375

to have patience with (also in, toward)c1384

supportc1384

to sit with ——c1400

sustainc1400

thulgec1400

acceptc1405

to away with1528

brook1530

well away1533

to bear with —1538

digest1553

to comport with1565

stand1567

purse?1571

to put up1573

well away1579

comport1588

fadge1592

abrook1594

to come away1594

to take up with1609

swallow1611

embracea1616

to pack up1624

concocta1627

to set down bya1630

to take with ——1632

tolerate1646

brook1658

stomach1677

pouch1819

1538 H. Latimer Let. 13 Dec. (Cleo. E.iv/2) f. 321^v I kno by experience yo^r goodnesse y^t you wyll bere w^t fowlles in ther freylnesse.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) iii. ii. 106 Beare with me, My heart is in the Coffin there with Cæsar.

1712 A. Pope in Spectator No. 408. Little Irregularities are sometimes..to be born with.

1872 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest IV. xviii. 113 A foreign King had to be borne with.

1916 Daily Mail (Hull) 30 Oct. 4/6 What patience it requires to bear with the faults and follies which even the best of friends will show.

2019 @Castrodour 2 July in twitter.com (accessed 10 July 2019) Drawings may come out a lil wonky as I'm tryna to adapt with this software again, bear with me!!

†2. intransitive. Nautical. To sail towards, head for. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction > sail towards shore

to stand in1582

to bear in1587

to bear with —1587

to fall in1598

1587 J. White in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) iii. 765 The next day after,..wee sawe Hispaniola, and bare with the coast all that day.

1596 W. Raleigh Discoverie Guiana (new ed.) 89 We followed a braunch of Orenoque called Capuri, which entred into the sea eastward of our ships, to the end we might beare with them before the wind.

a1640 T. Risdon Chorogr. Surv. Devon (1811) (modernized text) §210 218 This tor serveth as mark to sailors, who bear with Plymouth haven.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2020; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	bear
释义	bearn.¹ Brit. /bɛː/, U.S. /bɛ(ə)r/ Forms: Old English bera, Old English (rare and late) Middle English–1500s bere, Middle English beeyr, Middle English beor (south-west midlands and south-western), Middle English beore (west midlands), Middle English ber- (in compounds), Middle English boere (south-west midlands), Middle English bore (south-west midlands), Middle English buere (south-west midlands), Middle English–1500s beer, Middle English–1500s beyr, Middle English–1600s beare, Middle English–1600s beere, 1500s beir, 1500s– bear, 1600s bare; English regional (in sense 6a) 1800s bair (Lancashire), 1800s beer (Westmorland), 1800s beyer (Lancashire); also Scottish pre-1700 beir, pre-1700 ber, pre-1700 bere. N.E.D. (1887) also records a form late Middle English barre. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with West Frisian bear , Middle Dutch bēre , beere , bāre (Dutch beer ), Old Saxon -bero (only in personal names; Middle Low German bēre , bāre ), Old High German bero , pero (Middle High German ber , German Bär ), early Scandinavian (runic: Sweden) Biari (only as a personal name), Old Icelandic ber- (in e.g. berfjall bearskin, berserkr berserk n.; compare also bera she-bear), and probably Gothic baira (in bairabagms mulberry tree, hence literally ‘bear-tree’: see note) < a Germanic base of uncertain and disputed origin, perhaps < the same Indo-European base as (with lengthened grade) Lithuanian bėras (of a horse) bay, ultimately showing an ablaut variant (e -grade) of the (suffixed) Indo-European base of brown adj., thus originally meaning literally ‘the brown one’ (compare bruin n.), or perhaps < the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek θήρ wild beast (see thero- comb. form), although some have objected to this on phonological grounds. The word probably arose through taboo avoidance (reflecting the danger posed by the animal); for the probable original Indo-European word for ‘bear’ compare the forms cited at Arctic adj. and n.The usual Scandinavian word (compare Old Icelandic bjǫrn (Icelandic björn ), Old Swedish biorn (Swedish björn ), Old Danish biorn (Danish bjørn )) reflects a (u -stem) derivative from an oblique case (accusative) of the same Germanic base; compare berne n. and discussion at that entry. With Gothic bairabagms compare Norwegian bjørnebær , Swedish björnbär (1638), both in the sense ‘blackberry’ (the fruit of the mulberry and the blackberry is very similar in appearance; both are eaten by bears); compare (with similar semantic motivation) bearberry n. The first element of the Gothic word is sometimes taken to be a folk-etymological alteration of a form from the same Germanic base as barse n. and birse n. (with original meaning ‘point, spike’), probably with reference to the elongated fruit of the mulberry. Specific forms. The Middle English (chiefly south-west midland) forms beor, beore, boere, bore, buere reflect an (unattested) Old English (Mercian) form with back mutation (beora ). The Old English weak genitive singular (beran* ) became by regular phonetic change in Middle English identical with the nominative (bere ); some early compounds that appear to be attributive may in fact reflect genitive compounds with unmarked first element (compare discussion at bearskin n.). Specific senses. In sense 3e short for Smokey Bear n. 2. In sense 4 after classical Latin ursa bear, she-bear, in Ursa Maior (see Ursa Major at Ursa n. 2; compare Great Bear n.) and Ursa Minor (see Ursa Minor n. at Ursa n. 3; compare Little Bear n.). With sense 5 compare the frequent depiction of Russia as a bear in British political cartoons from the 1730s onwards. The association originates in the perception of Russia as a wild country populated by bears (compare e.g. the bear supporters of the 16th-cent. coat of arms of the Muscovy Company). In use relating to speculation on the stock market (see branch II.) after bearskin n. (see discussion at that entry); with use with reference to stock (see sense 10) compare bearskin n. 3, and with use with reference to speculators (see sense 11) compare bearskin man at bearskin n. Compounds b. This use of bear arises in the early 18th cent., and was common at the time of the South Sea Bubble (when this type of speculation became notorious). The associated bull (see bull n.¹ III.) is first attested very slightly later and was perhaps suggested by bear. I. The animal, and related uses. 1. a. Any of the large, heavily built mammals constituting the family Ursidae, the members of which typically have small rounded ears, a long snout, thick shaggy fur, stocky legs and a plantigrade gait.Bears belong to the order Carnivora but most are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, plants, and insects as well as flesh.black bear, grizzly bear, polar bear, sloth bear, etc.: see the first element. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Ursidae (bear) > [noun] bearOE urse1600 Arctoid1869 ursid1973 OE Maxims II 29 Bera sceal on hæðe, eald and egesfull. OE Ælfric Let. to Sigeweard (De Veteri et Novo Test.) (Laud) 35 He gewylde þone wildan beran & his ceaflas totær.., & þa wildan leo he gewylde eal swa. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 211 For is ech man efned to þe deore þe he nimeð after geres..sum bere, sum leun. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. cxii. 1261 Þe bere eteþ alle þynges... He can wonderliche stye vpon trees. ?1553 (c1501) G. Douglas Palice of Honour (London) iii. l. 1530 in Shorter Poems (1967) 96 Dauid I saw sla baith lyon and beir. 1624 J. Smith Gen. Hist. Virginia ii. 24 Their attire is the skinnes of Beares. 1733 A. Pope 1st Satire 2nd Bk. Horace Imitated 13 Tis a Bear's Talent not to kick, but hug. 1834 D. Crockett Narr. Life xiv. 180 The old gentleman was much pleased to hear I was hunting in those parts, for the year before the bears had killed a great many of his hogs. 1909 Chatterbox 219 The bear makes nothing of climbing; he is a good swimmer, and a quick runner too. 1993 Mammalian Species No. 439 4/1 All living and fossil bears of the genus Ursus descended from U. minimus, a small forest-dwelling bear of the Pliocene. 2001 Canad. Geographic Mar. 38/2 Nearby, scratch trees provide signposts where countless generations of bears have also left their mark. b. Chiefly with distinguishing word. Any of various other animals thought to resemble a bear in some way.cat-bear, skunk bear, woolly bear, etc.: see the first element. ΚΠ 1555 R. Eden tr. G. F. de Oviedo y Valdés Summarie Gen. Hist. West Indies in tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde f. 189 Where by thinstinct of nature these antes separate them selues to engender far from the wooddes for feare of these beares. 1743 London Mag. June 302/1 By th' river's side the otter doth intrench, But the quick-scented dogs, led by the stench, Do soon unkennel this fresh-water bear, And the poor wretch at last in pieces tear. 1864 Proc. Zool. Soc. London 706 Dendropoda, or Cat-footed Bears... These animals climb trees, and defend themselves with all their four feet, lying on their backs. 1955 F. Lane Patrol to Kimberleys 214 The name ‘koala’ means: ‘nothing to drink’. These little bears drink nothing. c. The flesh of a bear used as food. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > game > [noun] > flesh of bear bear-meat?c1225 bear1682 1682 M. Rowlandson Soveraignty & Goodness of God (ed. 2) xiii. 25 A Squaw..gave me a piece of Bear. Another..gave me a quart of Pease: I boyled my Pease and Bear together. 1851 United Service Mag. Jan. 119 ‘Never eat bear, I s'ppose, Major?’ said Hawkeye... ‘It's good,..good as deer.’ 1903 Methodist Mag. & Rev. Oct. 336/2 Bear tastes like pork, and beaver is akin to beef. 2012 J. Deutsch & N. Murakhver They eat That? 16/1 It is important not to eat bear rare since trichinosis is a very real danger. d. A stuffed toy bear; = teddy bear n. 1a. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > toy or plaything > soft toy > [noun] > specific baa-lamb1599 bear1905 teddy bear1906 teddy1907 shmoo1948 1905 M. Moore Let. 2 Nov. in Sel. Lett. (1997) 14 A great many of the girls have Atlantic City plush bears. 1928 A. A. Milne House at Pooh Corner x. 178 In that enchanted place on the top of the Forest a little boy and his Bear will always be playing. 2007 Collect it! Jan. 54/3 Li'l LuvablesTM are cute and cuddly and come complete with a fun hand-cranking factory to stuff your bears, bear skins..and fluffing. †2. figurative. Obsolete. A personification of sloth or gluttony. ΚΠ c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 105 Þe Beore of heui slawðe [?c1225 Cleo. beore on his slauðe] haueð þeose hwelpes. c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 58 Þe bere of glotonie romist a bout..for to fille þe wombe. 3. a. An unrefined or uncouth person. Now somewhat rare. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > [noun] > unmannerliness > unrefined manners or behaviour > person bearc1395 carter1509 kensy?a1513 clumpertonc1534 club1542 lout1548 clinchpoop1555 clout-shoe1563 loose-breech1575 clown1583 hoyden1593 boor1598 kill-courtesy1600 rustic1600 clunch1602 loblolly1604 camel1609 clusterfist1611 loon1619 Grobian1621 rough diamonda1625 hoyde1636 clodhopper1699 roughhead1726 indelicate1741 vulgarian1809 snob1838 vulgarist1847 yahoo1861 cave-dweller1865 polisson1866 mucker1884 caveman1907 wampus1912 yobbo1922 yenta1923 yob1927 rude1946 cafone1949 no-neck1961 ocker1971 c1395 Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal 1 C.viii) (1850) Isa. Prol. 226 Men ben clepid beeris, for gredynesse ether glotonye, and mulis, for letcherie. 1696 T. Dilke Lover's Luck v. 37 I wou'd not have her blow'd upon by the breath of such a Bear, and I am so passionate, that I protest I dare scarce trust my self with repairing my own Injuries. 1751 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 30 June (1932) (modernized text) IV. 1763 The French people of learning..are not bears, as most of ours are. 1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 51 This great soldier..was no better than a Low Dutch bear. 2009 ‘A. Herries’ Country Miss in Hanover Square (2011) 157 You must think me a brute and a bear. †b. Oxford University slang. A student. Obsolete. Cf. bear-leader n. 2. ΘΚΠ society > education > learning > learner > college or university student > [noun] > types at specific universities son?c1550 Bibler1569 round cap1572 batteler1604 fellow commoner1614 gentleman-commoner1614 primar1642 Bible-clerk1650 Harry-Sopha1661 hodman1677 nobleman1682 seconder1684 grueller1691 ternar1698 tuft1755 red gowna1774 ten-year-man1816 prick-bill1818 bear1828 martinet1831 sheep1865 trotter1883 skiver1884 hall-reader1886 sign-off1902 night climber1937 techie1969 1828 R. Thomson Tales Antiquary II. iv. 247 When I was the youthful Bear—as the disciple of a Private Tutor is called at Oxford. c. colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S.). A person who is difficult or unpleasant to deal with, spec. a grouchy, bad-tempered person. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > [noun] > that which is difficult > a difficult thing or person sluta1475 nut1540 Tartar1669 bitch1699 handful1755 tickler1825 pebble1829 hard ticket1847 tough nut1862 bear1876 Roger1885 trier1893 peb1903 heller1923 pawful1925 honey1932 sod1936 toughie1945 motherfucker1948 hard-arse1966 the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > ill humour > [noun] > ill-humoured person moroso1592 melancholian1681 splenetic1703 bear1876 1876 New Eng. Jrnl. Educ. 26 Aug. 74/3 A Christian bear of a schoolmaster, or a pious virago of a mistress, who alternately prays for and thrashes this little community, does not form the American ideal of a religion in the school. 1882 Forest & Stream 16 Feb. 50/2 I am such a ‘bear’, that I wouldn't wish one to enjoy his day's ‘outing’ to the full. 1998 alt.med.fibromyalgia 11 May (Usenet newsgroup, accessed 1 Aug. 2019) She sleeps poorly and is a real bear in the mornings. 2012 J. L. Cannon Twang v. 110 I remind myself she's a bear to live with every February because..she's chompin' at the bit for the weather to warm up so she can get outside. d. (a) A person, esp. a man, who resembles a bear in appearance, esp. in being physically imposing or lumbering. ΚΠ 1879 H. P. Smith in Q. Elocutionist Oct. 278 Here I am, a great bear of a man (or a great bear of a bachelor, as Jane often says), shut up within these four walls. 1976 Illustr. Weekly India 8 Feb. 35/2 While a dull husband might conceivably drive a high-spirited young wife straight into the arms of a muscular bear, can anyone with the slightest knowledge of British India see the Raj swallowing such outrageous goings-on? 2006 E. Winthrop Counting on Grace viii. 58 He's strong enough to crunch my bones in two if he had a mind. But I think he's trying to be nice. He's just a big clumsy bear of a man. (b) slang. Among gay men: a man with a large or solid build, a hairy body, and (typically) facial hair, esp. a beard.Bears are one of a number of identities or subcultures that emerged on the gay scene in the later 20th cent. (cf. e.g. clone n. 3, twink n.³, leather n. Additions). Cf. Compounds 1a(d). ΚΠ 1979 Advocate 26 July 42/3 Bears are usually hunky, chunky types reminiscent of railroad engineers and former football greats. 1989 news.lists 22 July (Usenet newsgroup) Mail.bears is a mailing list for gay and bisexual males who are bears themselves and for those who enjoy the company of bears. 2004 Washington Post (Electronic ed.) 13 Mar. c1 Five or 10 years ago, when news photographers covered gay rights gatherings, they went for the drag queens, the leather bears, the lesbians with multiple tattoos. e. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). A police officer, spec. a highway patrol officer; = Smokey Bear n. 2. Cf. to feed the bears at feed v. 1f.Chiefly used in CB radio communications and by truckers. ΘΚΠ society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > policeman truncheon officer1708 runner1735 horny1753 nibbing-cull1775 nabbing-cull1780 police officer1784 police constable1787 policeman1788 scout1789 nabman1792 nabber1795 pig1811 Bow-street officer1812 nab1813 peeler1816 split1819 grunter1823 robin redbreast1824 bulky1828 raw (or unboiled) lobster1829 Johnny Darm1830 polis1833 crusher1835 constable1839 police1839 agent1841 johndarm1843 blue boy1844 bobby1844 bluebottle1845 copper1846 blue1848 polisman1850 blue coat1851 Johnny1851 PC1851 spot1851 Jack1854 truncheonist1854 fly1857 greycoat1857 cop1859 Cossack1859 slop1859 scuffer1860 nailerc1863 worm1864 Robert1870 reeler1879 minion of the law1882 ginger pop1887 rozzer1888 nark1890 bull1893 grasshopper1893 truncheon-bearer1896 John1898 finger1899 flatty1899 mug1903 John Dunn1904 John Hop1905 gendarme1906 Johnny Hop1908 pavement pounder1908 buttons1911 flat-foot1913 pounder1919 Hop1923 bogy1925 shamus1925 heat1928 fuzz1929 law1929 narker1932 roach1932 jonnop1938 grass1939 roller1940 Babylon1943 walloper1945 cozzer1950 Old Bill1958 cowboy1959 monaych1961 cozzpot1962 policeperson1965 woolly1965 Fed1966 wolly1970 plod1971 roz1971 Smokey Bear1974 bear1975 beast1978 woodentop1981 Five-O1983 dibble1990 Bow-street runner- 1975 Atlantic Monthly May 42/1 There's a four-wheeler coming up fast behind me, might be a Bear wants to give us some green stamps. 1976 CB Mag. June 40/3 ‘The bear's pulling somebody off there at 74,’ reported someone else. 2014 J. Otersen Little Truckers 79 These bears can radio to another smokey bear, and then they'll be setting bear traps everywhere. 4. (The English names of) either of two northern circumpolar constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Usually with distinguishing word (see Great Bear n. and Little Bear n.; formerly more fully more bear and less bear).Cf. Greater Bear at greater adj. 4b, Lesser Bear at lesser adj. 3b. ‘The Bear’ (without a modifier) refers to Ursa Major. ΘΚΠ the world > the universe > constellation > Northern constellations > [noun] > Ursa Major Ursac888 Arcturusc1374 beara1398 Ursa Major1398 ploughc1425 Septentrionc1425 seven starsc1425 Great Bear1555 plough star1558 Helice1596 polar bear1648 dipper1842 Big Dipper1856 the world > the universe > constellation > Northern constellations > [noun] > Ursa Minor beara1398 Septentrionc1425 horn1513 Little Bear1555 cynosure1596 Ursa Minor1728 dog's tail1851 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. viii. xxiii. 503 Alwey þilke sterres windiþ and turneþ rounde aboute þat lyne þat hatte axis as a bere aboute þe stake, and þerfore þat cercle is iclepid ‘þe more bere’. ?c1400 (c1380) G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (BL Add. 10340) (1868) iv. met. vi. l. 4124 Ne þe sterre yclepid the bere, þat encliniþ hys rauyssynge courses abouten þe souereyne heyȝt of þe worlde, ne þe same sterre vrsa nis neuer mo wasshen in þe depe westerne see. 1556 R. Record Castle of Knowl. 263 Aboute these 2 Beares is there a long trace of 31 starres, commonly called the Dragon. 1645 J. Milton Il Penseroso in Poems 40 Where I may oft out-watch the Bear. a1708 T. Ward England's Reformation (1710) ii. 172 As Lion, Scorpion, Bear, and Bull, And other things less dangerful. 1814 J. Austen Mansfield Park I. xi. 236 ‘There's Arcturus looking very bright.’ ‘Yes, and the bear. I wish I could see Cassiopeia.’ 1997 T. Pynchon Mason & Dixon 653 The school-Masters calls it Ursa Major. The bigger of two bears, and that's the Little one, there. 2017 US Official News (Nexis) 11 July The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, with its North Star, will be visible, each forming the tails, respectively, of the two bears, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. 5. a. With the. Russia, or (more widely) its former empire or the former Soviet Union.Used to refer to different geographic regions depending on the period being discussed.For the semantic motivation of this sense, see note in etymology. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > named regions of earth > Russia, the Russian Empire, or the Soviet Union > [noun] bear1794 Russian Federation1886 Soviet Union1918 Bolshevisia1919 Bolshevy1921 U.S.S.R.1927 narod1938 red land1942 Sov1967 1794 R. Brothers Revealed Knowl. Prophecies Times II. 17 His Dominions..will be enlarged..by the addition of Three Electorates, when the Bear, (meaning Russia) watching for the opportunity, will Rise and Devour Prussia at one side, while the Emperor destroys him at the other. 1831 Metropolitan May 218 France turns from her abandon'd friends afresh, And soothes the Bear that prowls for patriot flesh. 1853 Punch 24 222 We recommend the Bear to hug himself as comfortably as he likes, in his own security, but we would advise him to keep his paws off from Turkey. 1939 W. S. Churchill Into Battle (1941) 145 The left paw of the Bear bars Germany from the Black Sea. 1967 Observer 15 Jan. 32/8 When he allowed himself to be flown back to Moscow..he was consciously putting his head in the Bear's mouth. 2014 Daily Tel. 19 Dec. 23/2 Russia's actions were legitimate. Sanctions were wrong. The West wanted to ‘chain and defang’ the bear, but would never be able to do so. b. A native or inhabitant of Russia, or (more widely) of its former empire or the former Soviet Union. ΘΚΠ the world > people > nations > native or inhabitant of Asia > native or inhabitant of Russia, the Russian Empire, or the Soviet Union > [noun] Muscovite1535 Russ1537 Russian1538 Muscovian1577 Muscoviter1650 White Russian1659 Great Russian1783 bear1804 Rooshian1838 Soviet1920 Ivan1925 1794 W. B. Stevens Jrnl. 15 Dec. (1965) ii. 214 Those Russian Bears after having devoured the Unhappy Poles are..to direct their fell tusks against France.] 1804 M. Wilmot Let. 24 July in M. Wilmot & C. Wilmot Russ. Jrnls. (1934) i. 147 Take the two Nations..and trust me the Bears would triumph. 1989 R. Atkinson Long Gray Line vii. 189 A hundred and fifty Bears at twenty thousand feet? Not likely. That was World War II stuff, the kind of raid launched to firebomb Dresden. 2017 L. Dickey Bears in Streets vii. 175 What if the bears suddenly came to Canada, and started handing out money, paying people there to fight against America? †6. a. English regional (north-western and north-west midlands). A doormat. Also as the second element of a compound, as in rope bear. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > cleaning shoes > [noun] > mats and scrapers doormat1665 scraper1745 mud-scraper1788 bear1795 foot scraper1796 mata1818 shoe-scraper1842 scraper-mat1884 1795 J. Aikin Descr. Country round Manch. 349 The making (by blindfolk) of..white and tarred bears, foot-cloths, etc. 1805 D. Johnston Serm. for Blind 20 Rope-bears for cleaning the feet at our doors. 1884 R. Holland Gloss. Words County of Chester (1886) Bear, a door mat. b. U.S. Nautical. A heavy block covered with abrasive material or a rough mat filled with sand used to scrub the deck of a vessel. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1889 Cent. Dict. Bear,..8. a square block of wood weighted with iron, or a rough mat filled with sand, dragged to and fro on a ship's decks. 1925 H. P. Bailey Shanghaied out of 'Frisco in 'Nineties ii. 22 Ben's and my first task at sea comprised helping two other men in ‘pulling the monkey's tail’ or, as it is sometimes termed, ‘pulling the bear’. The interesting process consists in four disinterested men dragging about the main deck a cumbersome wooden box heavily laden, to whose bottom a layer of glass or sand-paper is fixed. By this process the decks are kept scrupulously clean. 7. A portable device for punching holes in sheet metal. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > equipment > piercing or boring tools > [noun] > punches pointrel1476 punch1505 punk1670 puncher1681 dog-tooth1736 pommel1793 keypunch1850 bear1853 bell-punch1877 summary punch1934 1853 T. G. Quesada Gloss. Terms Marine Engines & Boilers 29 (table) in Tredgold's Princ. & Pract. Steam Engine (rev. ed.) III Perro, a bear, for punching holes. 1869 E. J. Reed Shipbuilding xx. 446 The holes which come in the plate-edges are usually punched by a bear. 1908 J. G. Horner Henley's Encycl. Pract. Engin. VII. 158/2 The bear is operated thus. 8. Founding. A solid metallic mass formed within a blast furnace; esp. that formed by molten metal seeping below the hearth level and solidifying after the furnace is extinguished.Also called horse, salamander, or sow. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > engine of war > [noun] > movable shed sow1297 mantel1357 snail1408 vinet1408 whelk1408 circlec1440 barbed-cat1489 mantle1489 mantlet1524 vine1565 tortoise1569 sow-guard1582 penthouse1600 penticle1600 target-roof1601 vinea1601 fence-roof1609 testudo1609 cat-house1614 vineyard1650 tortoiseshell1726 manta1829 cat1833 ram-house1850 tortoise-roof1855 bear1865 1865 H. Watts Dict. Chem. III. 368 Many samples of the so-called ‘bears’ (Eisen-sauen) or metallic masses found in the hearths of blast furnaces in which copper is smelted, as at Mansfield.., likewise consist of iron alloyed chiefly with molybdenum. 1918 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. 97 178 A considerable mass of decarburised iron was found in a bear at the Cleveland Ironworks. 2001 D. B. Wagner State & Iron Industry Han China vi. 68 The bear which we have here, however, has an unusual shape, apparently the result of a failure in furnace operation. 9. Originally and chiefly U.S. Something notable or exceptional, esp. (in later use) something particularly arduous or challenging. Frequently in (to be) a bear of a ——. ΚΠ 1911 Call (San Francisco) 30 Dec. (Sports section) 21/2 In the curtain raiser Bill Sloane stopped Sam Brant in four rounds, the towel being tossed into the center. It was a bear of a fight while it lasted. 1926 W. Rogers Autobiogr. (1949) xi. 123 You unconsciously paid me a Bear of a Compliment. 1958 ‘P. O'Connor’ Black Tiger at Le Mans (1959) v. 35 But be careful. This track is a bear. 1984 M. Skinner Red Flag vi. 97 It's going to be a real bear to do your job and keep alive. 1989 New Yorker 8 May 48/3 Why don't you tell those two about that game? That sounded like a bear. 2002 N.Y. Times 15 Dec. This is a bear of a job. It's not for everyone. II. Senses relating to speculation on the stock market. Cf. bull n.¹ III. 10. Stock Market. Stock contracted to be sold at a set price at a future date, in the seller's expectation that market prices will have fallen by then. Now rare.The trader may or may not already own the contracted stock; see sense 11. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > stocks, shares, or bonds > [noun] > stock > bought, sold, or dealt on particular terms bear1709 bull1714 bearskin1719 trust stock1733 preference stock1845 preferred stock1848 trustee stock1855 short1868 privileged stock1875 future1880 junior stock1914 curb-stocks1915 long1930 junk bond1974 1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 38 Being at that General Mart of Stock-Jobbers called Jonathans..he bought the Bear of another Officer. 1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 38 I fear the Word Bear is hardly to be understood among the polite People; but I take the meaning to be, That one who ensures a Real Value upon an Imaginary Thing, is said to sell a Bear. 1714 C. Johnson Country Lasses i. i Instead of changing honest staple for Gold and Silver, you deal in Bears and Bulls. 1939 Financial Times 5 July (City ed.) 1/7 Government borrowing must assuredly come on a large scale, sooner or later. Therefore, let us sell bears (protected or unprotected) of War Loan. 11. Stock Market. A trader who expects prices to fall and so sells stock, which he or she may buy back later at a lower price. Also: a trader who sells stock he or she does not hold, hoping to be able to buy it cheaply before delivery is due. Cf. earlier bearskin man at bearskin n. Compounds b. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > [noun] > dealer in stocks and shares > type of profit taker1552 bull1714 bear1718 fund-monger1734 lame duck1806 stag1845 taker-in1852 cornerer1869 wrecker1876 corner-man1881 market-rigger1881 boursocrat1882 offeror1882 ribbon clerk1882 inflater1884 manipulator1888 underwriter1889 kangaroo1896 piker1898 share pusher1898 specialist1900 tailer1900 writer1906 placee1953 corporate raider1955 tippee1961 raider1972 bottom fisher1974 white knight1978 greenmailer1984 1718 S. Centlivre Bold Stroke for Wife iv. i. 36 Are you a Bull or a Bear to day, Abraham? 3d. Stock[broker]. A Bull, faith,—but I have a good Putt for next Week. 1762 Gentleman's Mag. Jan. 18/2 In contracts for time, he who contracts to sell is called the bear. 1881 Chicago Times 30 Apr. The bears made a strong fight against an advance. 2002 Shares 3 Oct. 26/3 It is like a race, at 10.10 am all the bulls start buying stocks and all the bears start selling. Phrases P1. In proverbs and proverbial phrases, often with reference to bear-baiting and bear dancing. ΚΠ a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) iv. l. 1453 For þus men seyn þat oon þenkeþ þe bere But al a noþer þenketh h[i]s ledere. a1500 (?a1410) J. Lydgate Churl & Bird (Lansd.) l. 132 in Minor Poems (1934) ii. 474 Som man..hath no fredam..To gon at large, but as a bere at stake To passe his boundis. 1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. ix. sig. Cii With as good will as a beare goth to the stake. 1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. v. sig. H As handsomly as a beare picketh muscles. 1589 Pappe with Hatchet (1844) 16 Swarmd..like beares to a honie pot. 1602 W. Fulbecke Parallele or Conf. Law i. 28 A man should deuide honie with a Beare. 1671 A. Behn Forc'd Marriage iii. ii. 45 What new Masquerade's this? by Iove, Alcander Has more tricks then a dancing Bear. 1821 D. Carey Legend Argyle III. xiii. 171 I must also recollect that Kings and bears often worry their own keepers. 2009 Sunday Times (Nexis) 17 May (Sports section) 9 What might have been a turn-off to most attracted MacAnthony like a bear to a honey pot. P2. to play the bear: to do mischief; to cause severe harm, damage, or disruption; to wreak havoc, ruin (now rare). Also: †to behave uncivilly and roughly (obsolete). Chiefly with with, †among. Cf. devil n. Phrases 4a. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > behave badly [verb (intransitive)] > behave in ill-mannered or unrefined way to play the bear1579 lob1596 clown1600 vulgarize1605 swab1638 hoyden1709 lout1807 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > cause or effect (harm) [verb (transitive)] > do harm or injury to > cause great harm to to play hell (with)1750 to make havoc1812 to play Old Harry with1837 to play the bear1854 to play hell and Tommy1859 to play buggery1898 to play havoc1910 1579 L. Tomson tr. J. Calvin Serm. Epist. S. Paule to Timothie & Titus 473/1 When we haue so turned all order vpsidowne..there is nothing but..playing the beare amongst vs. 1584 Copie of Let. conc. Erle of Leycester 198 This man, yf he once perceyue indeed, that they feare him, wil handle them accordingly and playe the Beare indeed. 1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northants. Words I. 38 A market-gardener says, ‘A wet Saturday plays the bear with us’; i.e. keeps our customers away, and injures our goods. 1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms II. ii. 26 Chaps that have got something on their minds can't stand idleness, it plays the bear with them. 1891 J. M. Dixon Dict. Idiomatic Eng. Phrases (at cited word) The last storm has played the bear with my crops. 1931 Derby Daily Tel. 5 Jan. (Late Final ed.) 4/5 Fog during the week-end has played the bear with road traffic. †P3. are you there with your bears?: an expression of exasperation or surprise, esp. at a person's persistence with a topic or notion; ‘are you at it again?’. Obsolete. [Explained in Joe Miller's Jests (1739) 28 as originally the exclamation of a man who, not liking a sermon he had heard on Elisha and the bears (2 Kings 2:23–4), went next Sunday to another church, only to find the same preacher and the same discourse.] ΚΠ 1594 J. Lyly Mother Bombie ii. iii. sig. D1^v Cand. I loue thee much, giue mee one worde of comfort. Sil. I faith sir no, and so tell your master. Cand. I haue no master, but come to make choise of a mistres. Sil. Aha, are you there with your beares. 1741 S. Richardson Pamela III. xxxiii. 335 O ho, Nephew! are you thereabouts with your Bears? 1820 W. Scott Abbot I. xv. 323 ‘Marry come up—are you there with your bears?’ muttered the Dragon. †P4. to take a bear by the tooth: to put oneself in danger; to act in a foolhardy manner. Chiefly in comparisons to express how objectionable or unwise a proposal is. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1601 A. Dent Plaine Mans Path-way to Heauen 70 If any man notwithstanding all this, will venture vpon it [sc. Adultery], hee may be saide to be a most desperate monster: for what doth hee else but as it were..take the Beare by the tooth. 1603 A. Dent Ruine of Rome i. 23 If they continue bold and busie this way, they may hap at last take a beare by the tooth, and peraduenture pull an olde house vpon their heads. 1638 R. Younge Drunkard's Char. 52 For whether he laughs, or chafes, he is a like apt to quarrell; or let but a friend admonish him, hee were as good take a Beare by the tooth. 1779 Considerations upon French & Amer. War 37 We shall as soon take a bear by the tooth as infringe an iota of that treaty. P5. to carry (also give, take, etc.) guts (also † garbage, † offal) to a bear: to do a menial or repugnant task. Chiefly in negative as to not be fit to carry guts (also † garbage, † offal), to a bear and variants: to be regarded as so lowly, contemptible, or foolish as to be unworthy or incapable of even the most menial or repugnant task. Now U.S. colloquial. ΚΠ 1639 J. Taylor Iuniper Lect. vii. 49 Thou art a very sloven, and a nasty beast to him, and art not worthy to carry guts to a Beare. 1787 ‘P. Pindar’ Lousiad: Canto II 28 in Lousiad: Canto I (ed. 4) George thinks us scarcely fit ('tis very clear) To carry guts, my brethren, to a bear. 1876 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 2 Feb. 3/7 He was not sufficiently man enough to carry offal to a bear. 1891 New Eng. Mag. May 393/1 ‘If you do not hand Mrs. Atkinson to the chamber stairs,’ said the doctor, in an angry guttural, ‘your Excellency ain't fit to carry garbage to a bear.’ 1967 in Dict. Amer. Regional Eng. (1985) I. 550/2 Sayings about a person who seems to you very stupid: ‘He hasn't sense enough to ——.’ Carry guts to a bear. 2013 @joshowens24 22 Mar. in twitter.com (accessed 25 July 2019) George Bush was not fit to throw guts to a bear, much less to run a country. #HUBRIS. P6. like a bear with a sore head and variants: used of a person who is very irritable, sullen, or bad-tempered. Frequently in comparisons, as in as cross as a bear with a sore head and hence similarly as cross as a bear. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > ill humour > [adjective] > in an ill humour maltalenta1578 in a jeer1579 in suds1611 sullen-sick1614 in the pouts1615 out of sorts1621 cross1639 off the hooks1662 huff1714 sulkinga1777 as cross as a bear1838 sore-headed1844 sore-head1862 baity1921 the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > ill humour > be ill-humoured [phrase] to sit on brood or a-brood1600 as cross as a bear with a sore head1901 1785 F. Grose Classical Dict. Vulgar Tongue at Grumble He grumbled like a bear with a sore ear. 1830 F. Marryat King's Own II. vi. 93 As savage as a bear with a sore head. 1838 Token & Atlantic Souvenir 100 I feel cross as a bear after playing the fool all day, and reason enough I have for it. 1901 Lady's Realm Nov. 476/1 He's as cross as a bear with a sore head if he's kept waiting a minute. 1908 Manch. Courier 28 Oct. 9/6 You may start to ‘loaf’ among the shops as sulky as a bear, but something will happen to smooth you out. 1995 Toronto Star (Nexis) 27 Apr. (Metro ed.) c3 He was like a bear with a sore paw, just brutal to be around. 2018 Daily Star Online (Nexis) 5 Dec. She stomped around like a bear with a sore head until I promised to spend most of the festive season in her arms. P7. to poke the bear and variants: to deliberately provoke or antagonize a person or group, esp. one that is dangerous or powerful.rare before late 20th cent. ΚΠ 1840 Morning Post 24 Feb. Boswell, by way of ‘poking the bear’ perhaps, asked whether the poetry of Gray (a man of that time) did not ‘tower above the common mark?’ 1998 St. Paul (Minnesota) Pioneer Press (Nexis) 14 Aug. (Sports section) 1 Deputy commissioner Russ Granik greeted the news with basically a ‘Ha ha! We win that one!’ Which violates rule No. 1 of labor negotiations: Never poke the bear with a stick. 2014 V. Laurie Ghoul Next Door 228 Kendra was obviously interested in poking the bear, because most of her questions were meant to bait Foster into admitting he'd killed Bethany. P8. colloquial (originally and chiefly U.S.). to be a bear: to be someone who is exceptionally gifted, adept, persistent, or remarkable; spec. (frequently with for) to be someone who is devoted to or intent upon a given pursuit or activity. ΚΠ 1908 H. C. Fisher in San Francisco Examiner 3 Dec. 11 (comic strip) I'm a bear at this stuff. 1913 Sat. Evening Post 31 May 12 I'll bet he's a bear among the women. 1930 W. R. Burnett Iron Man iv. iii. 129 She's a bear for looks... I wish I had a wife like that. 1948 I. Wolfert Act of Love lv. 514 He's a bear on running the ball. 1980 N.Y. Daily News 18 Dec. 41 Even his severest critics agree that Haig has an excellent mind, is a bear for work and is a disciplined and organized leader of men. 2001 Los Angeles Times (Electronic ed.) 7 Sept. With an encyclopedic knowledge of band trivia and minutiae.., Chris is such a bear for authenticity in dress and presentation that he tends to drive his bandmates a little crazy. P9. a bear of (very) little brain: a person of little intelligence (often used self-deprecatingly).With reference to A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh (see quot. 1926). ΚΠ 1926 A. A. Milne Winnie-the-Pooh iv. 48 ‘What does Crustimoney Proseedcake mean?’ said Pooh. ‘For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother me.’] 1935 Church Q. Rev. July 348 If anyone comes to this introduction hoping to have his mind made up (for some of us are, like Winnie the Pooh, bears of very little brain and like to be told what to think) disappointment awaits him. 1960 4th Rep. Select Comm. Estimates 212/1 in Parl. Papers 1959–60 (H.C. 260) VI. 1 Being ‘a bear of little brain,’ I like to think of it in terms of practicality. 1972 N.Y. Times 2 Jan. d9/2 [She] was assumed to be a bear of very little brain..and why should she be making all that money? 2012 S. Townsend Woman who went to Bed for Year vi. 39 May I join, please? Although I'm a bear of very little brain, I might give your serious little group a bit of badly needed glam. P10. colloquial (originally U.S.). the average bear: the average person; chiefly used in comparative phrases, preceded by than.Originally and chiefly in smarter than the average bear, popularized as a catchphrase of the cartoon character Yogi Bear (see Yogi Bear n.). ΘΚΠ the world > people > person > [noun] > average homme sensuel moyen1882 mass man1928 Joe Citizen1932 John Q.1937 the average bear1960 1960 Walla Walla (Washington) Union-Bull. 26 Apr. 8/5 (advt.) When you're hungry as Yogi Bear..be smarter than the average bear..ramble into Porter's. 1982 Guardian 6 Jan. 2/7 Asked..whether he had special contacts in London.., Mr Terpil replied: ‘I had certain facilities made available to me that the average bear would not have had.’ 1990 Wall St. Jrnl. (Electronic ed.) 3 Jan. a7 Once the lawyers found out I might know a little more than the average bear, they denied me the right to serve [on the jury]. 2005 Florida Times-Union (Nexis) 4 Aug. e1 Drink plenty of water... That means you'll go to the restroom more often than the average bear, but it really makes a difference. P11. colloquial. do bears shit in the woods? and (sometimes euphemistic) variants: used ironically and humorously as a rhetorical response to a question to which the answer is considered blatantly obvious; ‘yes’, ‘of course’. Cf. is the Pope (a) Catholic? at pope n.¹ Phrases. ΚΠ 1961 Washington Post 9 Sept. a26/3 Asked..if he would consider continuing as manager next season, Harris answered rhetorically, ‘Does a bear live in the woods?’ 1966 M. Braly It's Cold out There 40 ‘You're telling me you're rooting?’ ‘Does a bear crap in the woods?’ 1992 C. McCarthy All Pretty Horses (1993) i. 66 They sat their horses and looked down at him. Can you ride or not? said Rawlins. Does a bear shit in the woods? Hell yes I can ride. I was ridin when I fell off. 2018 Times (Nexis) 20 July ii. 14 Did she want to see him again? ‘Do bears shit in woods?’ replied our romantic heroine. P12. slang (originally and chiefly U.S.). bear in the air: a police helicopter; an officer in a police helicopter. Cf. sense 3e.Chiefly used in CB radio communications and by truckers. ΚΠ 1975 ‘C. W. McCall’ Convoy (transcribed from song) in Black Bear Road Them smokies is thick as bugs on a bumper. They even had a bear in the air! 1989 D. Ing Ransom Black Stealth One xvii. 117 He had set the second radio on a police frequency scan pattern..because highway patrol aircraft flew at heights and speeds similar to his own..some Georgia bear in the air had spotted them. 2019 North Shore (Brit. Columbia) News (Nexis) 10 May (Final ed.) a43 The police need only modestly powered patrol cars for enforcement, as there's nothing that can outrun a radio signal. And if that fails there's always a helicopter—the Bear in the Air. P13. to feed the bears: see to feed the bears at feed v. 1f; bring on your bears: see bring v.; to sell the bearskin before one has caught the bear: see skin n. Phrases 4b; to be loaded for bears: see load v. Additions a; fight dog, fight bear: see dog n.¹ Phrases 14. Compounds C1. a. (a) General use as a modifier, as in bear cub, bear-fat, bear-fur, bear-hide, bear-hunt, bear-meat.Some early compounds of this type may in fact show the reflex of Old English genitive compounds; see discussion in the etymology section. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > hunting > hunting specific animals > [noun] > others bear-hunt?c1225 squirrelling1594 bear hunting1664 wolfing1875 the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Ursidae (bear) > [noun] > young bear cub?c1225 berling1399 cub1600 whelp1677 the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > game > [noun] > flesh of bear bear-meat?c1225 bear1682 society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > [noun] > skins of other animals bear-hide?c1225 russwale1336 roan skin1446 rabbit skin1760 zebra skin1774 kangaroo-skin1777 rack1805 alligator1877 ocelot1903 crocodile1907 society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > skin with hair attached or fur > [noun] > of bear bearskinOE bear-fur?c1225 bear's fella1375 society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > greasy or fatty material > [noun] > derived from animals > from other animals bear-fat?c1225 goose-greasea1398 bear grease?1440 lard1486 bevy-grease1616 chicken fat1833 ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 218 Þe deouel is beorecunnes. c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 105 Þis leaste beore hwelp is grimmest of alle. c1390 in F. J. Furnivall Minor Poems Vernon MS (1901) ii. 619 To helle he horlede..Beerynge as a Beore whelp. 1594 W. Shakespeare Titus Andronicus iv. i. 95 But if you hunt these Beare whelpes then beware, The Dam will wake. View more context for this quotation 1780 W. Fleming in N. D. Mereness Trav. Amer. Col. (1916) 640 Bear fat is preserved sweet and pure. 1803 Lit. Mag. (Philadelphia) Oct. 64 A grand bear hunt is proposed on the third Wednesday in October. 1825 W. Scott Betrothed iv, in Tales Crusaders II. 91 Stretch thyself on the bear-hide, and sleep. 1836 Southern Lit. Messenger 2 597 Animal food, both of beef and pork, of venison and bear meat. 1920 D. H. Lawrence Lost Girl i. 11 Winter coats..flourished their bear-fur cuffs. 2014 MailOnline (Nexis) 27 Oct. This curious little bear cub had a successful hunt for a mid-morning snack, as he is snapped with his jaws around a clam. (b) As a modifier, designating food consisting of or made with bear meat, as in bear bacon, bear soup, bear steak, bear stew, etc. ΚΠ 1709 E. Ward Secret Hist. Clubs xx. 215 Out..sprung a plentiful Excrescency of such delicious Sprouts, that a Mess of them Boil'd with a Gammon of Bear-Bacon, was the best Victuals in the Universe. 1839 Sporting Mag. Oct. 431 Bear-flesh was..served up to dinner that day under every possible shape—bear soup, bear stew, bear stakes, bear curry. 1905 Speaker 11 Nov. 126/1 Their desires..are centred in seal-steaks and bear-soup. 2012 Wilson (N. Carolina) Daily Times (Nexis) 13 Nov. He'll try bear burgers, bear sausage, bear steaks and bear ribs. He expects the big game to taste more or less like venison. (c) Stock Market. General use as a modifier with the sense ‘characterized by or relating to a fall in the price of stock; expecting or desirous of a fall in the price of stock’. See branch II.See also Compounds 2c, bear squeeze n. 2, bear trap n. 2. ΚΠ 1829 Devizes & Wilts. Gaz. 23 July The continuation as will be observed, approaching to ³/ ₈ per cent. shewing either a decided opinion in favour of the ultimate condition of Consols, or some distress on the part of the Bear speculators. 1932 Manch. Guardian 23 Nov. 14/1 Business in this market included much closing of bear positions, and jobbers generally are now bullish. 2004 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 4 July iii. 24/1 Stocks rebounded, and the bear funds ended the quarter as one of the industry's weakest groups. (d) As a modifier, with the sense ‘of, characteristic of, or popular with gay men known as bears’; see sense 3d(b). ΚΠ 1991 soc.motss 8 Apr. (Usenet newsgroup, accessed 24 Oct. 2019) The Eagle is a great leather bar... The Lone Star is great as a bear bar. If you like country dancing, check out the Rawhide. 1997 Bay Area Reporter 21 Aug. 55/3 Whether bear culture stands in opposition to dominant gay male culture, or simply aside from it, the phenomenon has gained a tremendous following in recent years. While Wright traces bear history back a few decades, he says the bear scene only started taking off nationally in the late 1980s. 2008 L. J. Heinberg & C. Kraft in S. Loue Health Issues confronting Minority Men who have Sex with Men ii. 74 The bear look is another Caucasian body type that is valued. b. Forming adjectives with the sense ‘that has a bear's ——’, ‘having —— like a bear's’ by combining with a noun + -ed, as in bear-furred, bear-shaped, bear-sized, etc. See also bearskinned adj. ΚΠ 1872 Reliquary Jan. Pl. XXII (following p. 172) Bear-shaped drinking vessel in Nottingham Ware. 1926 E. Sitwell Elegy on Dead Fashion 3 Nor walk within vast bear-furred woods. 2019 National Post's Financial Post & FP Investing (Canada) (Nexis) 15 Apr. b8 A bear-sized polo player with a temper and gambling habit to match his dominant stature. C2. a. bear bell n. North American (chiefly in plural) a bell attached to a rucksack, walking stick, etc., to signal the presence of a person walking in an area frequented by bears. Bear bells are carried in the hope that the sound will encourage a bear to leave the area, and not be startled by a person's sudden appearance, though their efficacy is debated. ΘΚΠ society > communication > indication > signalling > audible signalling > ringing of bells as signal > [noun] > other signal bells moot-bellc1210 guild-bell1555 watch-bell1577 toll-bell1736 joy-bells1808 bear bell1975 1975 Oakland (Calif.) Tribune 23 Oct. 38/2 It's in grizzly country, so with our ‘bear bells’ clanging we made the 10-mile trek. 2003 Canad. Geographic Trav. & Adventure Spring–Summer 34/2 Bear bells may repel other hikers, but they do little to discourage bears. bear bile n. bile obtained from a bear, used in traditional Chinese and Asian medicine as a treatment for liver disease and various other conditions.The practice of extracting bile from living bears kept in captivity became a major target for animal welfare groups in the late 20th cent. ΚΠ 1926 Acta Scholae Medicinalis Universitatis Imperialis in Kioto 9 362 Castor oil, dried bear bile and ox bile do not manifest opening effect upon this sphincter. 1990 Sci. Amer. Oct. 12/1 Wildlife agents have no reliable way to detect such illegal exotica as bear bile, turtle oil and Oriental potions containing rhinoceros horn. 2009 New Scientist 2 May 43/1 There is some evidence from western medicine that a synthetic version of the active ingredient in bear bile, ursodeoxycholic acid, can treat a range of diseases, including hepatitis C. † bearbrat n. Obsolete rare a term of abuse for a person.Apparently an isolated use. ΚΠ 1582 R. Stanyhurst in tr. Virgil First Foure Bookes Æneis 105 Thee bearbrat boucher thy corps with villenye mangled. † bearbug n. Obsolete rare an imaginary, evil creature intended to frighten children; cf. bugbear n. 2. ΘΚΠ the world > the supernatural > supernatural being > fairy or elf > [noun] > imp, goblin, or hobgoblin thursec725 puckOE puckleOE goblina1350 hurlewaynes kin1399 Hoba1500 bogle?1507 chimera?1521 hobgoblin1530 chyppynutie?1553 bearbug1560 boggard1570 bugbear?c1570 empusa1572 puckerelc1580 puck bug1582 imp1584 urchin1584 fear-babea1586 hob-thrush1590 hodge-poker1598 lar1598 poker1598 bogle-bo1603 mormo1605 foliot1621 mormolukee1624 buggle-boo1625 pug1631 black man1656 feind1659 Tom Poker1673 duende1691 boodie?a1700 worricow1711 bolly1724 Tom Po1744 fleying1811 pooka1824 booger1827 alp1828 boll1847 bogy1857 beastie1867 boogie1880 shag boy1882 1560 J. Heywood Fourth Hundred Epygrams xciv. sig. Bviii^v When do mothers fray their babes most from duggs. When they put on blacke scarfs, & go lyke beare buggs. a1577 T. Smith Orations Queens Marriage ii, in J. Strype Life T. Smith (1698) App. iii. 34 The Fear in which you put me was with a Vizor only which you had taken upon you, and so made me afraid, as Children be afraid of Bearbuggs and Bulbeggers. bear cave n. U.S. slang. (in CB radio communications and among truckers) a police station; cf. sense 3e and bear den n. ΚΠ 1976 Daily News (N.Y.) 11 June (CB & Sound Suppl.) 2/1 Bear Cave, police station. 1981 CB Radio Mag. Mar. 28/2 When we arrived at the bear cave we were surrounded by police. bear crawl n. a physical exercise in which a person moves forward on the hands and feet, with knees raised off the ground and hips in the air. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > gymnastics > exercise > [noun] > specific exercises breathing1605 breather1802 arm swing1859 setting-up drill1862 grasshopper march1884 lunge1889 push-up1897 sit-up1900 pull-up1901 deep-breathing1904 bag-punching1927 press-up1928 setting-up exercise1935 pullover1936 bear crawl1937 burpee1939 knee-bend1941 leg raise1944 dip1945 uddiyana1949 squat thrust1950 lateral1954 pull-down1956 aquacise1968 step-up1973 abdominal crunch1981 power walking1982 crunch1983 gut-buster1983 stomach crunch1986 1937 Training School Bull. (Vineland, New Jersey) Oct. 124 The Annual Field Day exercises were held... There were twenty-four scheduled events, some of them being..bear crawl; baseball throw and piggy back race. 2009 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 24 Sept. e8/2 Staples of Ms. Murphy's group conditioning classes..include push-ups, pull-ups, mountain climbers and bear crawls. bear den n. (also bear's den) U.S. slang (in CB radio communications and among truckers) a police station; cf. sense 3e and bear cave n. ΘΚΠ society > law > law enforcement > police force or the police > [noun] > police office or station police office1781 station1814 police station1820 factory1890 front office1900 cop-shop1941 law station1958 bear den1975 1975 S9 Oct. 32/2 Bear's Den, any police station. 1976 Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg, Va.) 27 Apr. 7 (advt.) Bear Den (or Cave)—A police station. bear grease n. (also bear's grease) the fat of a bear, used esp. in medical and cosmetic preparations. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > greasy or fatty material > [noun] > derived from animals > from other animals bear-fat?c1225 goose-greasea1398 bear grease?1440 lard1486 bevy-grease1616 chicken fat1833 tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) i. l. 838 And euery toole in beris grees defoule. 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. 103 Wild Rose leaues reduced into a liniment with Beares grease. 1843 W. M. Thackeray Irish Sketch-bk. II. ix. 128 A tuft on the chin, may be had at a small expense of bear's grease by persons of a proper age. 2004 M. Engelhard Where Rain Children Sleep vi. 81 The tree's blood mixed with bear grease is spread on infections or chapped skin. bear-proof adj. secure against bears; esp. (of a rubbish bin, food container, etc.) effective in preventing bears from gaining access to food or food waste. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > safety > [adjective] > safe or invulnerable > specific pistol-proof1590 sword-proofa1593 fireproof1610 plot proofa1616 shot-free1616 stick-free1632 armour-proof1635 water-free1642 sting-free1644 iron-free1670 bomb-proof1702 ball-proof1759 bear-proof1840 bullet-proof1856 dingo-proof1873 aseismic1884 tamperproof1886 radioresistant1922 tamper-resistant1978 1840 Foreign Q. Rev. Apr. 46/1 Experience gradually taught them to make their snow cellars bear-proof, and in their subsequent excursions they almost invariably found their buried stores untouched. 2014 K. McCafferty Dead Man's Fancy 244 He stopped at a bear-proof garbage can and tossed in a bag of trash. bear-proof v. transitive to make (a rubbish bin, structure, etc.) bear-proof. ΚΠ 1933 G. M. Wright et al. Fauna National Parks U.S. 127 A special attempt should..be made to bear-proof every source of food in the centers of human habitation. 2015 R. Mazur Speaking of Bears xi. 82 All thirty-two-gallon trash cans in all three parks were bear-proofed with the mailbox-style lids. † bear's fell n. (also bear fell) Obsolete a bearskin.In quot. OE as a genitive phrase or compound (compare discussion in the etymology section). ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > skin with hair attached or fur > [noun] > of bear bearskinOE bear-fur?c1225 bear's fella1375 OE Acct. Voy. Ohthere & Wulfstan in tr. Orosius Hist. (Tiber.) (1980) i. i. 15 Se byrdesta sceall gyldan fiftyne mearðes fell & fif hranes & an beran fel.] a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 2361 (MED) Þe beres fel schal neuer fro my bac. a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 2430 Wiþ hem boþe bere-felles þei bere in here armes. bear's-muck n. English regional (east midlands) a layer of soil found in fens, consisting of a mass of decaying organic material mixed with soft clay and having a powerful odour. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > other organic fuels > [noun] > turf or peat turfc1300 peat1333 turbaryc1450 turf1510 moor-coal1562 peat moss1775 bear's-muck1784 vag1796 breast-peat1802 gathering-peat1825 sod1825 bat1846 flight1847 mump1887 1784 C. N. Cole Extracts Rep. View South Level, 1777 31 Whoever knows the Nature of the Soil of these Washways, must know that they are..of the worst Sort of Soil in the Great Level, consisting of Moor Land and Bears Muck to the Depth of fifteen or sixteen Feet. 1846 J. Clarke in Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 7 ii. 517 The ‘dead peat,’ commonly called ‘bear's muck.’ 2006 C. Evans & I. Hodder Woodland Archaeol. ii. 39/2 Taken from the ‘Bear's Muck’ and throughout the Fen Clay.., her results indicated ‘quiet water’ brackish marsh, swamp or lagoon conditions, with infrequent tidal coverage and no significant freshwater input. bear spray n. a liquid made from capsaicin and related compounds used in the form of an aerosol spray to deter charging bears; (also) a spray can containing this liquid. ΚΠ 1970 Mt. Pleasant (Iowa) News 18 July 1/6 I plan cheerfully (?) to acquire long underwear, anti-bear spray, and a better attitude.] 1989 L. Kaniut More Alaska Bear Tales 264 ‘Bear spray’ is another deterrent that has come to the attention of the public in the past year or two. 2008 Field & Stream Aug. 26/1 It took me less than a second to deploy a wide and accurate blast of bear spray from a chest holster. 2018 Yukon News (Nexis) 10 Oct. A6 Take your bear spray with you every time you go hiking, running and cycling. Bear State n. U.S. the state of Arkansas.Also occasionally applied to other states, see e.g. quot. 1872. ΚΠ 1848 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms App. s.v. I once asked a Western man if Arkansas abounded in bears, that it should be designated as the ‘Bear State’? 1872 M. S. De Vere Americanisms 658 Arkansas is called the Bear State, though..the name is pronounced Bar State... California enjoys the same title. 1997 R. Reed Faubus xiv. 159 Some of the meaner sort slid off the bottom corner into Texas..but most of the raw-tempered settlers stayed in the Bear State. bear wallow n. U.S. a depression in the ground thought to be made by the wallowing of bears; also as a modifier in earliest use. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > land > landscape > marsh, bog, or swamp > [noun] > wet place, mire, or slough > wallow soila1425 hog hole1688 bear wallow1766 hog wallow1829 wallow1841 1766 in Amer. Speech (1940) 15 155/1 Two White Oaks Saplings by the Bear Wallow Drains. 1891 M. E. Ryan Pagan of Alleghanies v. 62 He rode..on through the columns of white-oak, whose feet are caressed by feathers and fern in the long, desolate ‘bear-wallow’. 2008 N. Krapf Bloodroot 75 Deep In the woods we would find bear wallows clawed Out of the soft floor of a cave. bear warden n. now historical (in Britain) a person who takes care of bears, bulls, apes, or other animals, training and managing them for displays of public entertainment, such as baiting and dancing; = bearward n. 1. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping or breeding other animals > [noun] > keeper or tamer of wild beasts bearward1179 leopard-man1390 masterc1425 bear-leader1503 bearherd1590 bear warden1740 lion-tamer1798 lion-keepera1843 1740 Daily Gazetteer 14 Oct. Yet is this Honourable Personage abus'd by the Bear-Warden of Hockey in the Hole, as making it his daily Study to find out Ways and Means to pillage those he should protect. 1884 W. Besant in Contemp. Rev. Mar. 343 The bear-warden's fiddle. 2016 L. Williams Emblem of Faith Untouched x. 67 Stopping to watch a bear baiting by Lady Elizabeth's bear warden. † bear-wolf n. Obsolete a term of abuse for a person. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > inferior person > [noun] > as abused warlockOE swinec1175 beastc1225 wolf's-fista1300 avetrolc1300 congeonc1300 dirtc1300 slimec1315 snipec1325 lurdanc1330 misbegetc1330 sorrowa1350 shrew1362 jordan1377 wirlingc1390 frog?a1400 warianglea1400 wretcha1400 horcop14.. turdc1400 callet1415 lotterela1450 paddock?a1475 souter1478 chuff?a1500 langbain?c1500 cockatrice1508 sow1508 spink1508 wilrone1508 rook?a1513 streaker?a1513 dirt-dauber?1518 marmoset1523 babiona1529 poll-hatcheta1529 bear-wolf1542 misbegotten1546 pig1546 excrement1561 mamzer1562 chuff-cat1563 varlet1566 toada1568 mandrake1568 spider1568 rat1571 bull-beef1573 mole-catcher1573 suppository1573 curtal1578 spider-catcher1579 mongrela1585 roita1585 stickdirta1585 dogfish1589 Poor John1589 dog's facec1590 tar-boxa1592 baboon1592 pot-hunter1592 venom1592 porcupine1594 lick-fingers1595 mouldychaps1595 tripe1595 conundrum1596 fat-guts1598 thornback1599 land-rat1600 midriff1600 stinkardc1600 Tartar1600 tumbril1601 lobster1602 pilcher1602 windfucker?1602 stinker1607 hog rubber1611 shad1612 splay-foot1612 tim1612 whit1612 verdugo1616 renegado1622 fish-facea1625 flea-trapa1625 hound's head1633 mulligrub1633 nightmare1633 toad's-guts1634 bitch-baby1638 shagamuffin1642 shit-breech1648 shitabed1653 snite1653 pissabed1672 bastard1675 swab1687 tar-barrel1695 runt1699 fat-face1740 shit-sack1769 vagabond1842 shick-shack1847 soor1848 b1851 stink-pot1854 molie1871 pig-dog1871 schweinhund1871 wind-sucker1880 fucker1893 cocksucker1894 wart1896 so-and-so1897 swine-hound1899 motherfucker1918 S.O.B.1918 twat1922 mong1926 mucker1929 basket1936 cowson1936 zombie1936 meatball1937 shower1943 chickenshit1945 mugger1945 motherferyer1946 hooer1952 morpion1954 mother1955 mother-raper1959 louser1960 effer1961 salaud1962 gunk1964 scunge1967 1542 H. Brinkelow Lamentacion sig. Bii^v Turne your chauntries and obbettes from the profettes of these Beerewolues whelpes. 1652 H. Bell tr. M. Luther Colloquia Mensalia xxiii. 300 Luther held a very sharp earnest Disputation at Wittemberg (which continued three hours) against that abominable monster, the Pope, that Bear-wolf [Ger. den Beerwolff], who exceedeth all tyrannie and oppression. b. In the names of plants and animals.See also bearberry n., bearcat n., bear's foot n., etc.bear's whortleberry: see the second element. bear animalcule n. now somewhat rare a tardigrade (tardigrade n. 2a). ΘΚΠ the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Arachnida > [noun] > member of Tardigrada tardigrade1800 water bear1848 bear animalcule1855 1855 W. S. Dallas in Orr's Circle Sci.: Org. Nature II. 319 They are known as Sloth or Bear-animalcules, and they are to be found in moss or in fresh water. a1933 J. A. Thomson Biol. for Everyman (1934) I. xiv. 376 Another puzzling order is that of the Bear Animalcules, Water Bears, Sloth Animalcules, or Tardigrades, very minute creatures with four pairs of unjointed clawed legs which are like little stumps. 2002 E. O. Wilson Future of Life i. 4 In the even more brutal conditions on bare land away from the stream channels live sparse assemblages of microbes and fungi together with rotifers, bear animalcules, mites, and springtails feeding on them. † bear-ape n. Obsolete a three-toed sloth (genus Bradypus). ΘΚΠ the world > animals > mammals > order Edentata > [noun] > family Bradypodidae (sloth) > member genus Bradypus bear-ape1607 ai1625 ursine bradypus1791 ursine sloth1800 1607 E. Topsell Hist. Foure-footed Beastes 19 Of the Bear-Ape Arctopithecus... His belly hangeth very low, his head and face like vnto a childes... His skin is of an ash-colour, and hairie like a Beare: he hath but three clawes on a foot, as longe as foure fingers,..whereby he climbeth vp into the highest trees. 1746 tr. D. De Coetlogon Tour through Animal World 34 An Ape (of which there are two other Sorts, viz. the Bear-Ape and the Fore-Ape) is rather more mischievous than the Monkeys, and much more fierce and cruel. bear grass n. North American any of several flowering plants which have long coarse grasslike leaves; esp. common yucca, Yucca filamentosa, and squaw grass, Xerophyllum tenax; (also) the leaves of such a plant. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > non-British plants or herbs > [noun] > North American > other plants bear grass1750 gardenia1756 sisyrinchium1767 heartsease1785 blazing star1789 nondo1791 unicorn-plant1796 screw-stem1802 American centaury1803 wild ginger?1804 pinweed1814 sabbatia1814 mountain mint1817 orange-root1817 richweed1818 goldenseal1828 pipeweed1837 snow plant1846 lopseed1850 devil's claw1876 turkey's beard1884 richweed1894 blue star grass1999 the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > cultivated or ornamental trees and shrubs > [noun] > yuccas yucca1664 Adam's Needle1730 bear grass1750 Spanish Bayonet1823 yucca-tree1828 Spanish dagger1859 dagger-plant1866 dasylirion1880 sotol1881 soap-weed1884 1750 T. Walker Jrnl. 12 Apr. in J. S. Johnston First Explor. Kentucky (1898) 48 On the Banks is some Bear-Grass. 1838 Farmers' Reg. Aug. 289/2 The economical uses of the Yucca filamentosa or bear-grass, i. e. of the unscraped leaves or slips of leaves, have been known from time immemorial, in all our southern and south-western states. 1997 C. Shields Larry's Party (1998) v. 96 ‘No’, Larry said, baffled, fiddling with a pile of bear grass on his work counter. 2019 @absolutepepper 6 Aug. in twitter.com (accessed 8 Aug. 2019) We didn't know it was going to be one of the best years for bear grass blooms (it usually blooms every 5-7 years)! The mountain sides were full of it! bear hound n. a dog used for hunting or baiting bears and other animals; cf. bear dog n. 2. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Canidae > dogs used for specific purposes > [noun] > sporting or hunting dog > that hunts specific animals bear dog1616 wolf-dog1652 coney dog1681 foumart-dog?1748 bird dog1755 boar-dog1792 bear hound1807 wolf-hound1823 toller1831 coon-dog1833 pig-dog1845 rat terrier1851 ratter1858 rabbiter1859 squirrel-dog1860 badgerer1876 boar-hound1884 turkey-dog1895 coon hound1920 1807 tr. A. von Kotzebue Novellettes III. iii. 215 O Tolpatch! Tolpatch! king of all bear-hounds [Ger. Bärenhunde]—pride and ornament of Wellingrade—my companion in the chace—my worthy comrade! 1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. I. iii. i. 92 The Wolf-hounds shall fall suppressed, the Bear-hounds, the Falconry. 2002 J. Cunliffe Encycl. Dog Breeds (new ed.) 153/1 The varieties of bearhound differed primarily in size and prominent amongst them was the elkhound, sometimes referred to as the Scandinavian pointer as this was used not only for hunting both elk and bear, but also as a gundog for blackcock. bear oak n. U.S. a small shrubby oak native to eastern North America, Quercus ilicifolia, which has acorns used a source of food by bears. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > tree or shrub groups > oak and allies > [noun] > dwarf, scrub, or shrub varieties scrub oak1671 ground-oaka1723 shrub oak1753 bear oak1810 shin-oak1844 Sadler's oak1897 1810 F. A. Michaux Histoire des Arbres Forestiers de l'Amérique Septentrionale I. 24 Bear' oak (Chêne d'ours), connu sous ce nom dans les Etats de New-Jersey et de New-York. 1900 H. L. Keeler Our Native Trees 368 Quercus ilicifolia... The early settlers of New England called it Bear Oak..because the bears loved its bitter little acorns. 2014 Gaston (Gastonia, N. Carolina) Gaz. 24 Feb. 1 a/1 The acorns of one tree, the bear oak, need trauma like fire to crack open and allow new growth. bear root n. (also bear's root) now chiefly North American (the root of) any of various herbaceous plants typically used medicinally, originally including hellebore or false hellebore; (in later use) esp. osha, Ligusticum porteri. ΚΠ 1585 J. Higgins tr. Junius Nomenclator 129/2 Libanotis..Hogs fenel, or beares roote. 1751 J. Eliot Contin. Ess. Field-husbandry in New Eng. 25 Take the Roots of Swamp Hellebore, sometimes called Skunk Cabbage, Tickle Weed, Bear Root. 1800 Compl. Family Physician i. ii. 51 Black hellebore, more commonly called bear's root, has been also recommended to be taken in a decoction of a dram of the green leaves in a quarter of a pint of water. 2019 @pilikikamoe 16 June in twitter.com (accessed 21 June 2019) I recommend bear root (Osha) for anyone who has anxiety, or gets sick easily. It's a natural medicine that can be chewed or made into a tea. bear's breech n. (also bear breech) = bear's breeches n. [Probably so called on account of a fancied resemblance of the large jagged leaves to the rump of a bear (compare breech n. 4).] ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Acanthaceae (acanthus) > [noun] sea-docka1400 bear's footc1400 bear claw1543 acanthus1551 brank-ursine1551 bear's breech1565 acanth1648 Malabar nut1694 spirit-leaf1696 spirit weed1699 snap-tree?1711 many-roots1750 ruellia1751 Christmas pride1756 menow weed1756 strobilanthes1836 adelaster1863 bear's breeches1882 1565 T. Cooper Thesaurus at Acanthus The herbe called Branke vrsine or Bearebreech, and not Bearefoote: as some haue taken it. 1736 N. Bailey Dict. Domesticum 71 Bears breech or Brank Ursine, is an herb of singular use in physick, for ruptures; as also for the gout and cramp. 2014 R. R. Clausen & T. Christopher Essent. Perennials 29/1 Bear's breech can take over a small space and is considered by some to be invasive,..—its tenacious roots are almost impossible to eradicate. bear's breeches n. any plant of the genus Acanthus (family Acanthaceae), esp. A. mollis and A. spinosus, widely cultivated as garden plants for their foliage and spikes of white and purple flowers; = bear's breech n.Also called bear's foot, brank-ursine. [Apparently an alteration of bear's breech n. with the second element misapprehended as showing breech n. 1.] ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Acanthaceae (acanthus) > [noun] sea-docka1400 bear's footc1400 bear claw1543 acanthus1551 brank-ursine1551 bear's breech1565 acanth1648 Malabar nut1694 spirit-leaf1696 spirit weed1699 snap-tree?1711 many-roots1750 ruellia1751 Christmas pride1756 menow weed1756 strobilanthes1836 adelaster1863 bear's breeches1882 1882 Gardener's Monthly & Horticulturist Jan. 30/1 As for ‘Bears-breeches’, we fancy Acanthus, classical though it be, will be preferred to the plain English. 1988 Times 13 Aug. 17/2 One good late summer plant which could bear a revival is the acanthus, known as ‘bear's breeches’, whose handsome leaves provided the pattern for decorative stonework in churches. 2011 A. M. Armitage Armitage's Garden Perennials (ed. 2) 14/2 The leaf of common bear's breeches is much fuller and more rounded than that of spiny bear's breeches, which is sharply lobed. bear's ear n. (also bear's ears) any of several primroses (genus Primula); spec. the auricula, P. auricula. [After post-classical Latin auricula ursi, arctotium (both 1584 or earlier).] ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > particular flower or plant esteemed for flower > [noun] > primrose and allied flowers > primrose or auricula primrosea1425 primula1526 petty mullein1578 bear's ear1597 bear's ear sanicle1597 bird's eye1597 mountain cowslip1597 rock rose1597 French cowslip1629 auricula1655 polyanthusa1678 polyanth1757 Scotch primrose1777 plumrose1787 plumrock1789 bird's eye primrose1796 Chinese primrose1825 dusty miller1825 Jack-in-the-box1850 Jack in the green1875 polyanthus primrose1882 boar's-ears- 1597 J. Gerard Herball ii. 640 There be diuers sorts of Mountaine Cowslips, or Beares eares. 1712 J. Mortimer Art of Husbandry: Pt. II 170 Auricula's, or Bears-Ears, is a Flower that affords a very great Variety of Form as well as of Colour. 2014 Dorking & Leatherhead Advertiser (Nexis) 12 Feb. 28 The auricula section, P[rimula] auricula, often known as auricula, mountain cowslip or bear's ear (from the shape of its leaves), grows on rocks in the mountain ranges of central Europe. bear's ear sanicle n. now historical and rare a herbaceous perennial native to mountainous regions of southern and eastern Europe, Cortusa matthioli (family Primulaceae), which has hairy toothed leaves and clusters of drooping purple bell-shaped flowers. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > particular flower or plant esteemed for flower > [noun] > primrose and allied flowers > primrose or auricula primrosea1425 primula1526 petty mullein1578 bear's ear1597 bear's ear sanicle1597 bird's eye1597 mountain cowslip1597 rock rose1597 French cowslip1629 auricula1655 polyanthusa1678 polyanth1757 Scotch primrose1777 plumrose1787 plumrock1789 bird's eye primrose1796 Chinese primrose1825 dusty miller1825 Jack-in-the-box1850 Jack in the green1875 polyanthus primrose1882 boar's-ears- the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > particular flower or plant esteemed for flower > [noun] > primrose and allied flowers > allied flowers bear's ear sanicle1597 French cowslip1597 mountain bindweed1597 blue moonwort1629 soldanella1629 chickweed wintergreen1640 primrose1688 Meadia1744 American cowslip1866 wood pimpernel1866 soldanelle1886 1597 J. Gerard Herball ii. 645/1 (caption) Sanicula Alpina Clusii, siue Cortusa Mathioli. Beares eare Sanicle. ?1755 J. Hill Gardener's Pocket-bk. App. 38 Bear's Ear-Sanicle, by parting their Roots, in August or September, must not be in too wet or stiff soil, or under Trees. 1985 Country Life 14 Feb. 396/3 At one time Cortusa matthioli was Bear's Ear Sanicle. bear's garlic n. the plant ramsons, Allium ursinum. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > vegetables > onion, leek, or garlic > [noun] > garlic > wild garlic ramseOE ramsonsOE ramps?a1425 ramsey1499 bear's garlic1578 ramp1826 the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular vegetables > [noun] > onion, leek, or garlic > garlic > wild garlic ramseOE ramsonsOE affodilla1400 ramps?a1425 ramsey1499 wild leek1551 bear's garlic1578 buckrams1578 lily leek1597 moly1597 vine-leek1597 wild chive1784 ramp1826 1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball v. lxxi. 638 The thirde kinde is called..in English, Ramsons, Buckrammes, & Beares Garlike. 1990 Better Homes & Gardens Oct. 175/2 (advt.) Each [allium] collection contains 10 drumstick allium, 5 Rosenbach onions, 5 bear's garlic, 2 giant allium, and 10 golden garlic. 2011 Ecosystems 14 1292/1 In spring, bear's garlic (Allium ursinum) forms a dense understory. bear worm n. now rare any of various hairy larvae, esp. caterpillars; cf. woolly bear n. at woolly adj. and n. Compounds 2. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Lepidoptera or butterflies and moths > [noun] > larva > hairy woubit1483 palmer1538 bear worm1577 furry1598 tailor-fly1682 woolly boy1805 tailor1816 woolly bear1863 miller1883 woolly worm1909 1577 Arte of Angling sig. D.iiii^v He will bite very well at a Menowe, the great redworme, the white worme,..the hornet, the great beare worme in a swifte streame, or at a myl tayle. 1608 E. Topsell Hist. Serpents 105 These Catterpillers..by reason of their roughnes and ruggednes, some call them Beare-wormes. 1792 Nat. Hist. Insects xv. 174 Some call them bear Worms, because they are all over hair. 1947 Pests & their Control May 28/2 The larvae of the tiger moths are densely covered with long hairs, a characteristic which has earned them the name of bear-worms, or woolly-bears. c. Stock Market. See branch II. bear covering n. the practice of purchasing stock, which the trader has already contracted to another buyer at a set price, at a price higher than anticipated in order to ensure the stock is owned before delivery is due. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > [noun] > specific operations or arrangements > share-buying activities subscribing1762 flyer1846 bearing1849 stagging1851 take-up1865 bear covering1881 straddle1883 portfolio investment1929 short covering1930 support buying1932 foreign portfolio investment1951 corporate raiding1957 leveraged1957 tender offer1964 buy-in1968 management buyout1977 bought deal1981 greenmail1983 MBO1986 bimbo1991 1881 Manch. Courier 26 Feb. 5/3 In deliveries a slight improvement was looked upon as the result of bear covering to secure profits. 1930 M. Clark Home Trade 271 On the other hand, the bear who does not see prices fall in accordance with his hopes may also have to cut his loss and buy the shares he has already sold when not in possession of them at the best price possible. He enters the market as a buyer and by his buying sends up the price of the securities in which he is dealing. This buying is known as ‘bear covering’. 1969 Daily Tel. 5 Mar. 4/1 The share-price, helped also by a measure of bear-covering, rose 1s 6d. 2011 DNA (Nexis) 22 Aug. Gold has seen a parabolic rally that was triggered by safe haven buying and some bear covering. bear market n. a market characterized by the falling price of stock (see sense 10); opposed to bull market n. at bull n.¹ Additions. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > [noun] > traffic in stocks and shares > types of market commodity market1843 primary market1859 short interest1866 bear market1873 aftermarket1887 terminal market1887 Kaffir Circus1889 shop1889 bull market1891 open1898 curb-market1900 the junglea1901 jungle-market1900 short market1900 down market1915 short end1964 third market1964 Unlisted Securities Market1979 USM1979 bulldog market1980 1873 Pall Mall Gaz. 12 Mar. 9/2 Home Railway Stocks are a ‘bear’ market, and there is a backwardation in Sheffield Stock. 1926 H. J. Wolf Stud. Stock Speculation II. 25 If the above mentioned ‘bear’ will apply his remarks to a bear market, instead of a bull market, we are in agreement. 1971 H. D. Berman Stock Exchange (ed. 6) xiii. 127 It is the funds that are depressed, such as the capital trusts at the end of a bear market, which should be bought. 1986 What Investm. July 15/3 Major bear markets of the past have always been caused by worldwide events. 2011 N.Y. Times 9 Oct. (Late ed.) (Business section) 21/2 He tries..guarding his shareholders against what he calls ‘stomach churn’—the anxiety that comes from bear markets and collapsing stock prices. bear raid n. a speculative attempt to profit from a fall in the price of stock; (also) an attempt to cause a stock price to fall, sometimes by means of unfounded rumours, in order to make a profit. ΚΠ 1865 Boston Post 30 Mar. The ten cent a share Oil Companies in Philadelphia are largely held by the boot-blacks and news-boys there and bull and bear raids are organizing. 1870 J. K. Medbery Men & Myst. Wall St. iii. 31 A grave-faced man..is spreading the news of this fierce ‘bear’ raid, by which Central has been hammered down five per cent. 1938 H. V. Hodson Slump & Recovery viii. 241 The memorandum argued that the reduction of stocks and the gradual liquidation of the private international pool were bringing the chance of a corner in tin, or of a ‘bear raid’ against it, close to reality. 1993 Independent on Sunday 24 Oct. (Business section) 2/3 His reaction to the bear raids that have hurt Betterware's share price is to bring forward the group's results to this Thursday. 2014 Daily Tel. 25 Apr. (Business section) 1/1 Mr Cawkwell, who staged a so-called ‘bear-raid’ on Quindell last May, has a short position in the stock. bear raider n. an investor who initiates or participates in a bear raid (bear raid n.). ΚΠ 1877 North Amer. (Philadelphia) 30 Apr. The week will be remembered as one in which the power of the bear raiders was severely tried. 1887 N.Y. Times 30 July 5/2 The stock market yesterday seemed on a dead run for the demnition bow-wows. Nobody had any fun but the bear raiders; they had not only fun but profits. 1930 Economist 11 Oct. 674/1 Despite the authorities' threat of disciplinary measures against bear raiders, further selling depresses prices. 2003 Financial Times (Nexis) 1 Feb. (Saturday London ed.) 16 When the FTSE 100 briefly dipped below 3,400 mark on Wednesday, hedge funds and bear raiders had a clear target to aim at. bear spread n. a strategy in which a trader, expecting a downturn in the market, sells one option and purchases another in such a way as to profit from the downturn or minimize losses. ΚΠ 1967 L. D. Belveal Commodity Speculation xv. 230 If he believes the spread will widen in the future, he will sell the nearby contract and buy the deferred contract. (This is called a bear spread.) 2003 D. L. Scott Wall St. Words 28 An example of a bear spread is the purchase of a call option and the simultaneous sale of another call option with a lower strike price and the same expiration date as the option purchased. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2020; most recently modified version published online June 2022). † bearn.² Forms: Middle English beare, Middle English bere, Middle English biere. Origin: Probably a word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Probably the reflex of an unattested Old English bǣr , cognate with Middle Dutch bāre* (Dutch baar ), German regional (Low German: East Friesland) bâr , (Bremen) bare , Old Icelandic bára (compare bore n.³), all in the sense ‘wave, billow’, probably < an ablaut variant (lengthened grade) of the Germanic base of bear v.¹, with an original meaning ‘something that lifts or raises’ (hence etymologically identical to bier n.: compare the Germanic forms cited at that entry). Obsolete. rare. A wave, a billow.Only in the Otho MS of Laȝamon's Brut. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > wave > types of waves > [noun] > billow or sea-wave ytheOE bearc1300 walmc1325 borec1330 float1477 walla1500 billow1552 ocean wave1590 translation wave1838 billowlet1867 c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1963) l. 672 He heþte..seyles drawe to toppe leten lade þane wind passi ouer bieres [c1275 Calig. uðen]. c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1978) l. 14284 A..sort bot wandri mid..beres [c1275 Calig. vðen]. Compounds bearwale n. [ < bear n.² + wale n.¹] Nautical a gunwale. ΚΠ 1420–1 ( Foreign Acct. 8 Henry V (P.R.O.: E 364/54) m. 7/1 De..iij Awgers, j Cappestaynshole, iiij Berewales, ij lanternis nouis. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2020; most recently modified version published online December 2020). † bearn.³ Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: bear v.¹ Etymology: < bear v.¹ Compare bearing n.¹ 16 and 17. Obsolete. rare. Pressure, thrust; (also) elasticity. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > [noun] > pressure > thrust impulsion?a1475 trusion1656 bear1674 thrust1708 push1715 bearing1753 shoot1772 out-thrust1842 1674 N. Fairfax Treat. Bulk & Selvedge 72 The pent or bear of it beneath was nothing at all. 1674 N. Fairfax Treat. Bulk & Selvedge 122 The spring..may, by its bear or elasticity hitch it forwards..creeper-like. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2020). bearv.¹ Brit. /bɛː/, U.S. /bɛ(ə)r/ Inflections: Past tense bore Brit. /bɔː/, U.S. /bɔr/; Past participle borne Brit. /bɔːn/, U.S. /bɔrn/, born Brit. /bɔːn/, U.S. /bɔrn/; Forms: 1. Present stem. (a) early Old English beorrenne (inflected infinitive, transmission error), Old English baran (perhaps transmission error), Old English bæran (rare), Old English beara (Northumbrian), Old English beoran (chiefly non-West Saxon), Old English beran, Old English bernende (present participle, transmission error), Old English breran (present subjunctive plural, transmission error), Old English byran (rare), late Old English bieran (Kentish), early Middle English bære, early Middle English berenn ( Ormulum), early Middle English biere (south-western), early Middle English bore (south-west midlands), Middle English bare, Middle English beore (chiefly south-west midlands), Middle English beyr, Middle English buere (south-west midlands), Middle English–1500s ber, Middle English–1500s berre, Middle English–1500s beyre, Middle English–1600s beer, Middle English 1600s beere, Middle English–1600s bere, Middle English–1700s beare, 1500s baire, 1500s beire, 1500s– bear, 1600s bayre, 1600s bearre; English regional 1900s beear (north-western), 2000s– burr (Kent); Scottish pre-1700 bair, pre-1700 baire, pre-1700 bar, pre-1700 bayr, pre-1700 beare, pre-1700 beer, pre-1700 beir, pre-1700 beire, pre-1700 ber, pre-1700 bere, pre-1700 berre, pre-1700 beyr, pre-1700 beyre, pre-1700 1700s bare, pre-1700 1700s– bear; Irish English 1700s beer, 1800s ber (Wexford); (b) also 3rd singular indicative early Old English bierð, early Old English birð, Old English biereð (rare), Old English biraþ (rare), Old English bireþ (rare), Old English bireð, Old English byrþ, Old English–early Middle English byrð, late Old English byreþ (in prefixed forms), early Middle English byrd. 2. Past tense. a. Strong. i. Originally 1st and 3rd singular indicative. α. Old English baer (Northumbrian, in prefixed forms), Old English bęr (Mercian), Old English–early Middle English bær, Old English (rare)–Middle English ber, late Old English (Kentish)–Middle English bar, early Middle English barr ( Ormulum), early Middle English bear (south-west midlands), early Middle English beare (south-western), Middle English baar, Middle English baare, Middle English bayr (northern), Middle English bayre (northern), Middle English–1500s beer, Middle English–1500s beere, Middle English–1500s bere, Middle English–1700s (1800s–1900s archaic) bare, 1500s barre; Scottish pre-1700 baere, pre-1700 bair, pre-1700 baire, pre-1700 bar, pre-1700 bayr, pre-1700 bayre, pre-1700 ber, pre-1700 bere, pre-1700 1800s bare, pre-1700 1800s beer; N.E.D. (1887) also records a form Middle English beir. β. Middle English bor, Middle English boyr, Middle English– bore, 1500s boore, 1500s boure, 1500s–1600s boare, 1600s–1700s boar; Scottish pre-1700 boir, pre-1700 boor, pre-1700 bowir, pre-1700 1700s boore, pre-1700 1700s– bore. γ. Scottish pre-1700 buir, pre-1700 buire, pre-1700 bur, pre-1700 buyr, pre-1700 buyre, pre-1700 bwir, pre-1700 bwyir, pre-1700 1700s–1800s bure. ii. Plural indicative Old English bęron (in prefixed forms), Old English–early Middle English bæran, Old English (in prefixed forms)–early Middle English bæren, Old English–early Middle English bæron, Old English (chiefly Anglian)–early Middle English beron, early Middle English bærenn ( Ormulum), early Middle English beore (south-west midlands and south-western), early Middle English beoren (south-west midlands and south-western), early Middle English boren (East Anglian). b. Weak late Middle English baryd, 1500s–1600s (1900s– U.S. regional) beared. 3. Past participle. a. Strong. α. Old English boræn (rare), Old English born- (inflected form), Old English giboren (Northumbrian), Old English (rare)–early Middle English (in copy of Old English charter) geboran, Old English–early Middle English geboren, Old English (Mercian)–Middle English boron, Old English–1600s boren, late Old English boran, early Middle English borenn ( Ormulum), early Middle English ȝeboren, Middle English borin, Middle English borun, Middle English boryn, Middle English iboren, Middle English iborin, Middle English iborn, Middle English jboren, Middle English yboren, Middle English (1500s–1600s archaic) yborn, Middle English–1600s boorn, Middle English– born, 1600s bourn, 1800s bawn (Caribbean); English regional 1800s–1900s boorn; Scottish pre-1700 boren, pre-1700 borin, pre-1700 1700s– born. β. Old English beren (rare), early Middle English baren, 1500s berne. γ. Middle English boor, Middle English boore, Middle English bor, Middle English ebore, Middle English hibore, Middle English hybore, Middle English ibor, Middle English jbore, Middle English ybor, Middle English (1500s–1600s archaic) ibore, Middle English (1500s–1600s archaic) ybore, Middle English–1800s bore, 1500s y'bore (archaic); Scottish pre-1700 boir, pre-1700 bor, pre-1700 bore, pre-1700 boyr, pre-1700 ybor. δ. Middle English bornne, Middle English boryne, Middle English eborene, Middle English eborne, Middle English iborenne, Middle English iborne, Middle English ibornne, Middle English jborne, Middle English (1500s–1600s archaic) yborne, Middle English–1600s boorne, Middle English– borne; Scottish pre-1700 bornne, pre-1700 1700s– borne; N.E.D. (1887) also records a form Middle English borine. b. Weak. α. English regional (southern) 1700s–1800s borned, 1800s born'd; U.S. regional (chiefly southern and south Midland) 1800s bornd, 1800s– borned, 1900s– barned. β. U.S. regional (chiefly southern and south Midland) 1800s– bornded. γ. English regional (Yorkshire) 1900s bear'd; U.S. regional 1900s– beared. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian bera (West Frisian bernje), Old Dutch beran (Middle Dutch beren), Old Saxon beran (Middle Low German bēren), Old High German beran (Middle High German bern, German regional (Low German) beren, bern), Old Icelandic bera, Old Swedish bæra (Swedish bära), Old Danish bæræ (Danish bære), Gothic bairan, all in senses ‘to carry, to bring, endure, to give birth’ < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit bhṛ-, ancient Greek ϕέρειν, classical Latin ferre, Early Irish beirid (3rd singular indicative), Armenian berem (1st singular indicative), Albanian bie (imperative singular bjer), all in the senses ‘to carry, to bring’, and also (with secondary senses) Welsh †beru to flow, Old Church Slavonic bĭrati to gather, Lithuanian berti to scatter.Form history. In Old English a strong verb of Class IV. In Forms 2a(i)β. and γ. showing analogical extension of the vowel of the past participle (compare Forms 3aα. , γ. , δ. ) to the past tense; compare Forms 3aβ. for occasional examples of the reverse influence. With Forms 3bα. compare born v. and see discussion at that entry. Some instances of prefixed past participles in Old English and early Middle English may represent i-bere v.¹ Since the prefixed verb is considerably less frequent in that period than bear v.¹, the prefixed past participles are covered at this entry. Past participle in standard English. From late Middle English to the 18th cent., there were three competing types of the past participle: (1) bore (compare Forms 3aγ. ); (2) borne , arising from the originally unsyncopated Middle English forms like boren , with the root vowel lengthened in the open syllable (compare Forms 3aδ. ); and (3) born , probably arising from late Middle English borne , syncopated form of the plural borene , where the root vowel remained short (compare Forms 3aα. ). While noted by 16th and 17th-cent. orthoepists, the difference in pronunciation between the two latter types with the long and short vowel was not always reflected in spelling, with both born and borne occurring for either. Generally, the distinction in form did not correlate with a distinction in sense, although a few orthoepists associate the long-vowel type (compare borne ) with senses related to carrying weight, and the short-vowel type (compare born ) with senses related to giving birth. From the second half of the 18th cent., the long-vowel type, by that point consistently spelt as borne , came to be used in standard English as the past participle in all senses of bear v.¹ except in sense 24, where born is used instead. The difference in pronunciation survived in many varieties into the 19th cent. (and regionally later): N.E.D. (1887) gives the pronunciation of borne as (bō^əɹn) /bɔən/, and that of born as (bǭɹn) /bɔːn/ (a distinction that is noted by most 19th-cent. dictionaries). Thus, in modern standard English, forms of born adj. are used in senses that correspond semantically to sense 24, and forms of borne adj.¹ are used in senses that correspond semantically to other senses of the verb. Prefixed forms. In Old English the prefixed form geberan i-bere v.¹ is also attested; compare also aberan abear v., ætberan atbear v., beberan to provide, supply (compare be- prefix), forberan forbear v., foreberan to prefer, to exalt (compare fore- prefix), forþberan forthbear v., oferberan overbear v., onberan to carry off, to diminish (compare on- prefix), oþberan to carry off, to bring (compare oth prep.), tōberan to-bear v., underberan underbear v., ymbberan to surround (compare umbe- prefix). Specific senses. In sense 3c after Middle French porter (compare the French phrase cited at to bear arms at arms n. Phrases 1a). With sense 10 compare Middle French porter in the same sense. With sense 18 compare Middle French, French porter haut to conduct oneself with pride (1577 or earlier). Senses in branches I., II., III. are paralleled by uses in Latin. With sense 22a compare classical Latin ferre in the same sense; with sense 9 compare the corresponding sense in post-classical Latin (6th cent. in British sources). I. To carry, and extended uses. 1. a. (a) transitive. To support the weight of (a person or thing) whilst moving him, her, or it from one place to another; to carry; to transport.Often with prepositional phrase as complement.Now less common than carry, and often used for comic, archaic, or literary effect. N.E.D. (1887) notes: ‘Now usually restricted in prose to the carrying of something weighty or which requires an effort.’ ΘΚΠ society > travel > transport > [verb (transitive)] haveeOE ferryOE weighOE bearOE take?a1160 weve13.. carry1348 passa1350 tow1391 geta1393 convey1393 winc1400 transport1483 set1487 convoy1500 traduce1535 port1566 repair1612 vehiculate1628 transmute1683 transplant1769 gallant1806 transit1859 inveigh1878 waltz1884 sashay1928 conduct- OE Ælfric Old Eng. Hexateuch: Gen. (Claud.) xxii. 6 Abraham þa het Isaac beran þone wudu to þære stowe. ?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1135 Wua sua bare his byrthen gold & sylure, durste nan man sei to him naht bute god. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 89 Þat burh folc..beren on here honde blostme. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 3442 After þat he was in þe hors bere ybore. a1475 Bk. Curtasye (Sloane 1986) l. 113 in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 302 With mete ne bere þy knyfe to mowthe. 1553 J. Withals Shorte Dict. f. 44/1 A wase or wreath to be laied vnder the vessell, that is borne vpon the head, as women vse, cesticillus vel arculus. 1637 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Elder Brother i. ii. sig. C2^v Court admirers..ever eccho him that beares the bagge. 1704 J. Swift Full Acct. Battel between Bks. in Tale of Tub 267 The other half was born by the frighted Steed thro' the Field. 1820 Freeman's Jrnl. (Dublin) 29 Mar. The gallant Colonel was borne from his carriage, on the shoulders of the people, into his mother's house. 1909 Pacific Monthly Feb. 146/1 The burro bore a heavy pack which clung to his back. 2017 Sc. Star (Nexis) 31 Dec. 32 In comes a waitress bearing a tray brimming with homemade fruit scones. (b) transitive. With adverbs, as about, away, off, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > transference > [verb (transitive)] > convey or transport > carry > about bearc1475 lump1946 OE Old Eng. Hexateuch: Lev. (Claud.) x. 5 Hi eodon sona & bæron hi [sc. bodies] aweg & wurpon hi ut, swa him beboden wæs. lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Domitian A.viii) anno 3 Her Herodes forþferde, & þæt cild Crist wearð geboren agean of Egiptan. c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 1810 Þe oþre relyqes..þat þou hast away y-born. c1475 (a1400) J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 307 Þise men ben cloudis wiþ-oute watir, þat ben boren aboute wiþ wyndis. 1592 Arden of Feversham H 2 He..had beene sure to haue had his Signe puld down, & his latice borne away the next night. a1712 W. King Misc. 27 in Posthumous Wks. (1734) That Part of the Universe where is bred the monstrous Bird called Ruc, that for its Prey will bear off an Elephant in its Talons. 1825 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Aug. 209/1 They, too, were borne across; but the fourth was less fortunate. 2010 Sarasota (Florida) Herald-Tribune (Nexis) 20 June a12 Like a potentate of old being borne about by native boys on an umbrella-covered litter. b. transitive. Of a woman or other female mammal: to carry (offspring) (in the womb); to be pregnant with. Also intransitive. Cf. sense 24a.In quot. ?a1430 with the womb as subject. ΘΚΠ the world > life > biology > biological processes > procreation or reproduction > pregnancy or gestation > carry in womb [verb (transitive)] bearOE breedc1000 enfaunt1483 carry1561 enwomba1616 expect1800 gestate1866 OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xiii. 286 Heo..swa mid geleafan onfeng God on hyre innoðe, & hine bær oð middewintres mæssedæg. a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 87 Hv mai ðat moder forȝeten ðat child ðe hie bar in hire wombe? ?a1430 Compleynte Virgin (Huntington) l. 44 in Minor Poems T. Hoccleve (1970) i. 1 The wombe blessid was þat beer, And the tetes þat yaf to sowken. 1579 J. Stubbs Discouerie Gaping Gulf sig. Cj^v The state, which can neuer so kindly matriculate him [sc. an alien] as the childe which she hath born in her owne wombe. 1709 I. Littlebury tr. Herodotus Hist. II. vi. 108 Women are not always accustom'd to bear their Children ten Months. 1816 J. Wilson City of Plague i. ii. 138 The wretch who bore them in her womb. 1893 New Educ. Sept. 151/1 A valuable mare or cow, while bearing young, is carefully and judiciously fed, is spared all overwork or excitement. 1983 Hastings Center Rep. 13 30 The mother who begets, bears, and births does not parent. 2019 Emory Wheel (Emory Univ., Atlanta) (Nexis) 24 Apr. 1 Bearing a child she does not want to keep and in need of a place to stay, Deb pleads for Ollie's help. †c. transitive. With adverb or prepositional phrase as complement. To lift or raise (something) upward; to lift off a surface, etc. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > raising > make to go up or cause to rise [verb (transitive)] > lift or take up aheaveeOE to reach upOE to draw upOE bearc1225 upnimc1290 to take upc1330 upholda1400 lutchc1400 hovec1480 upweigha1593 lift1596 poise1689 to up with1825 c1225 (?c1200) St. Margaret (Bodl.) (1934) 46 Heo bigon..te cneolin adun, & bliðe wið þeos bone ber on heh iheuen up honden towart heouene. c1450 (c1380) G. Chaucer House of Fame (Fairf. 16) (1878) l. 740 Any thinge that hevy be..bere hyt neuer so hye on hight lat goo thyn hande, hit falleth doun. 1578 J. Banister Hist. Man iv. f. 62 These two muscles baire the hand vpward. 1642 H. More Ψυχωδια Platonica sig. I4^v Fair clustred buildings..with high spires to heaven yborn. 1678 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. v. 95 When he draws back his Saw, the Work-man bears it lightly off the unsawn Stuff. 1813 W. Scott Rokeby v. 209 The beams once more were taught to bear The trembling draw-bridge into air. †d. intransitive. To carry a burden or burdens. Also with modifying adverb. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > transference > [verb (intransitive)] > carry bearc1450 carry1587 c1450 (a1425) Metrical Paraphr. Old Test. (Selden) l. 1449 (MED) He gart them beyre and draw. 1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II v. v. 92 Forgiuenes horse why do I raile on thee? Since thou..Wast borne to beare . View more context for this quotation 1611 Bible (King James) Gen. xlix. 15 He..bowed his shoulder to beare . View more context for this quotation 1659 J. Howell Brit. Prov. 34/1 in Παροιμιογραϕια The grunting horse bears best. e. transitive. Backgammon. To remove (a piece) from the board according to a roll of the dice. Also intransitive. Cf. to bear off 2 at Phrasal verbs 1.A player may begin to remove his or her pieces from the board once all of them have been moved onto his or her inner table (table n. 4b). ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > board game > backgammon > [verb (transitive)] > actions bear1550 hit1599 point1680 carry1743 1550 J. Heywood Hundred Epigrammes liii. sig. Bviii^v I will no more plaie at tables with the: Whan we come to bearyng, thou begylest me, In bearyng of thy men... Eche other caste thou bearst one man to many. 1748 E. Hoyle Backgammon in Penny Cycl. (1835) III. 240/2 If you bear any number of men, before you entered a man taken up..such men, so borne, must be entered again in your adversary's tables. 1842 Chambers's Information for People (new ed.) II. 551/1 If the adversary is able to bear one before you have bourne all your men, it reduces the victory to a hit. 1997 T. Fitzsimmons & P. Liflander Everything Games Bk. i. 31 The player who first bears all his men from the board wins. †f. transitive. To take (a person) with oneself. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a companion or associate > accompany or associate with [verb (transitive)] seeOE to bear (a person) company (also fellowship, etc.)c1225 mella1300 fellowshipa1382 companya1400 accompany1461 to keep company (with)1502 encompanya1513 to keep (a person) company1517 to take repast1517 assist1553 to take up with1570 rempare1581 to go along with1588 amate1590 bear1590 to fall in1593 consort1598 second1600 to walk (also travel) in the way with1611 comitate1632 associate1644 enhaunt1658 join1713 assort1823 sit1828 companionize1870 to take tea with1888 to knock about with1915 tote1977 fere- 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene i. iv. sig. C8 After that he had faire Vna lorne..And false Duessa in her sted had borne. †g. transitive. figurative. To bring as a consequence or necessary adjunct. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > causation > [verb (transitive)] > bring about as a consequence or entail makeOE haveOE drawa1400 to draw inc1405 to leave behind1424 goc1449 to draw on1572 train1579 carry1581 beara1616 to lead toa1770 evolve1816 entail1829 mean1841 issue1842 subinduce1855 a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) i. i. 134 His honesty rewards him in it selfe, It must not beare my Daughter. View more context for this quotation 1682 ‘Philalethes’ Seasonable Warneing 7 Which collation, as it hes at least a virtuall reordination in the bosome of it..so it beares also takeing of the oath of Canonicall obedience to his Lo[rd]. 2. a. transitive. To bring, deliver (a gift, a letter, a message, etc.), esp. on behalf of another. Also: to bring or pass on (news, intelligence, a rumour, etc.); †to bring news of (something) (obsolete). ΚΠ OE Andreas (1932) 1079 Hie þa unhyðige eft gecyrdon, luste belorene, laðspell beran. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 312 Nouðer. ne beore ne ne bringe to heore dame idele talen ne neowe tidinges. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 12378 We sculleð bere þin ærde [c1300 Otho þin herende bere] to Luces ure kaisere. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Man of Law's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 639 Lo here the lettres..That I moot bere with al the haste I may. c1475 in F. J. Furnivall Early Eng. Poems & Lives Saints (1862) 138 (MED) They..roden owte message to bere. 1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost iv. iii. 15 She hath one a'my Sonnets already, the Clowne bore it, the Foole sent it. View more context for this quotation 1696 R. Norton Pausanias v. ii. 41 The Ambassadour shall bear the News, He must depart to Night. 1726 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey IV. xvi. 162 To the Queen with speed dispatchful bear Our safe return. 1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward II. ii. 34 He would have borne a letter trustily enough. 1937 M. Mitchell Let. 9 May in Gone with Wind Lett. (1986) 143 I would have loved to hear your voice bearing the glad tidings. 2010 L. Erdrich Shadow Tag 233 Louise and her good-hearted partner come bearing gifts and towing their rescued greyhound. b. transitive. To carry, bring, or transport (something immaterial); to continue to have (a quality, feature, etc.) as part of oneself as one goes about one's life. Also with about. ΘΚΠ society > communication > information > rumour > [verb (transitive)] > bear tales or rumours bearOE scandalize1490 tattle1593 gossip1611 to give abouta1715 to call the clash1825 OE Order of World 64 Lifgendra gehwam leoht forð biereð bronda beorhtost. c1175 ( Homily (Bodl. 343) in S. Irvine Old Eng. Homilies (1993) 138 Ber þa to him þa ylce costungæ þe he þam ereste men Adam and Euam mid forcostode. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 8516 Somdel toward engelond he ber [a1400 Trin. Cambr. bar] al so is þoȝt. 1585 R. Greene tr. Oration Buriall Gregorie XIII 1 Many a one thinketh himselfe in perfect health, when he beareth death in his bosome. 1655 H. Vane Retired Mans Medit. iv. 45 That they may be enabled to bear light, or the similitude of Christ in his first appearance, unto others, they are first the receivers of that light in themselves. 1768 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. II. 242 The ancestor, during his life, beareth in himself all his heirs. 1828 C. Lamb Confessions of Drunkard (rev. ed.) in Elia 2nd Ser. 204 To bear about the piteous spectacle of his own self-ruins. 1962 C. C. Goen Revivalism & Separatism New Eng. iii. 75 The Canterbury church..bore with it the history of the original church. 2012 B. F. Kawin Horror & Horror Film v. 102 Dracula is himself an old figure who was born and who died hundreds of years ago, bearing in himself the age-old quality, the extension into and continuity with the past, of the aristocracy. c. transitive. To carry or transport (a disease or pathogen). Cf. borne adj.¹ 1b. ΚΠ 1842 S. Lover Handy Andy 341 How can you do such a dreadful thing as run the risk of bearing infection into society? 1913 F. Ramaley & C. E. Giffin Prevention & Control Dis. viii. 102 Food, especially milk, frequently bears disease germs, if dust and dirt have been allowed to get into it. 2016 Express (Nexis) 6 May 52 The first Games to be held in South America have been overshadowed by the spread of an infection borne by mosquitos. 3. a. transitive. To carry (a weapon) upon one's person, esp. visibly. Also: to carry (a symbol of authority, rank, office, etc., or the flag of a particular country or institution), typically for ceremonial reasons. Cf. to bear arms at arms n. Phrases 1a(a), to bear arms against at Phrases 1f.Quot. OE shows the Old English phrase beran gāras togædere, literally ‘to carry spears together’, i.e. to engage each other in battle. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military organization > insignia > carry or wear (insignia) [verb (transitive)] bearOE to put up1944 society > armed hostility > military equipment > arming or equipping with weapons > arm or equip [verb (transitive)] > bear (arms) weighc897 wearc1000 bearOE the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] > while moving > habitually bearOE carryc1400 OE Battle of Maldon (1942) 67 To lang hit him þuhte, hwænne hi togædere garas beron. a1225 MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 69 Crist..ȝeue us wepne for to boren. ?a1425 (c1400) Mandeville's Trav. (Titus C.xvi) (1919) 42 Þei beren but o scheld & o spere. 1622 J. Taylor Verry Merry Wherry-ferry-voy. B5^v A Sword, a Cap of maintenance, a Mace..Are borne before the Maior, and Aldermen. 1782 J. Freeth Mod. Songs 30 And (white-wash'd members) every one, That able is to bear a gun,..To India, if no means prevent, To fight the Dutch will soon be sent. 1863 A. P. Stanley Lect. Jewish Church I. v. 109 The staff like that still borne by Arab chiefs. 1911 Daily Mail 29 Mar. 9/7 Sixty flag-bearers—each bearing the flag of a Dominion or Colony, except the scout in the centre, who bore the Union Jack—were posted at six-pace intervals. 2018 @8bWd8 25 Mar. in twitter.com (accessed 26 Feb. 2019) The second amendment clearly was never intended to allow the people of the United States the right to bear weapons of war. b. transitive. To wear (a garment, a piece of jewellery, etc.).Much less common than wear in later use. ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > wearing clothing > [verb (transitive)] wearc893 weighc897 beareOE haveOE usea1382 to get on1679 sport1778 to stand up in1823 take1868 eOE tr. Orosius Hist. (BL Add.) (1980) iv. x. 107 Terrentius..bær hæt on his heafde, for þon Romane hæfdon þa niwlice gesett þæt þa þe hæt beran moston.., þæt þa moston ægþer habban ge feorh ge freodom. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 280 Ichwat swich þet bereð ba togedere heui brunie & here. c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 158 Of smal Coral aboute hir arm she bar A peyre of bedes. 1575 G. Fenton Golden Epist. f. 49 Y^e good or the euil of a monasterie lieth not in the habite, but in the men that bear it. 1638 W. Melvin tr. C. Garcia Sonne of Rogue xiii. 249 The Malletes beare their cloake after a certaine fashion. 1846 J. Black tr. A. W. Schlegel Course Lect. Dramatic Art & Lit. xv. 203 From the figures on Greek vases, we know that the grotesque masks of the Old Comedy bore a dress very much resembling theirs: long trousers, and a doublet with sleeves. 1912 Courier & Argus (Dundee) 3 July One, a carrier pigeon bearing a ring dated 1903, was seated on a nest containing an egg. 2003 Ottawa Citizen (Nexis) 8 Jan. d1 The next order of business will be to determine whether Carter's bust in the Hall of Fame bears a cap representing the Expos or the New York Mets. c. transitive. To display (a particular heraldic device) on a shield or coat of arms; to be entitled to wear or use (a heraldic device) as a coat of arms. Cf. to bear arms at arms n. Phrases 1a(b).Originally with reference to the use of a heraldic device on a coat or vest, or on a military shield (see coat of arms n. 1) (now historical); later with reference to the use of or entitlement to a heraldic shield or escutcheon (see coat of arms n. 2). ΘΚΠ society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > exhibit armorial bearings [verb (transitive)] bearc1400 wear1463 give1548 coat1664 c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 637 (MED) Þe pentangel nwe He ber in schelde & cote. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xvii. l. 238 Fiff hundreth men wicht and worthy, That armys bar of Ancistry. 1599 F. Thynne Animaduersions (1875) 42 The erle of Kent bearethe a wiuer for his Creste and supporters. 1677 R. Izacke Antiq. Exeter Catal. Sheriffs sig. P7 Guido de Bello Campo, bears Gules a Fesse between three crosses botony Or. 1727 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Oeconomique (Dublin ed.) at Bear He that has a Coat of Arms, is said to Bear it in the several Charges or Ordinaries that are in his Escutcheon. 1856 Encycl. Brit. XI. 340/1 Unmarried ladies bear their arms and quarterings (if any) in a lozenge; as also do widows, impaled with those of their deceased husbands. 1956 H. L. Savage Gawain-poet 166 Gawain does bear the golden Star on the red shield. It may be the Étoile of the French kings Jean and Charles. 2002 P. Coss in P. Coss & M. Keen Heraldry, Pageantry, & Soc. Display in Medieval Eng. (2008) 63 William de Chastell bore arms which reflected his name, viz. gules, two bars and a quarter argent, and in the quarter a castle sable. 4. a. (a) transitive. To have or display (a visible mark or feature). ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sight and vision > thing seen > appearance or aspect > have (specific) appearance [verb (transitive)] beareOE to look likec1390 showa1425 fantasy?1611 weara1616 strikea1701 to make likea1881 eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) iv. xvi. 299 Cometa..in uhttide wæs upeornende & micelne sciman wæs beorende swa swa scinendes leges [L. excelsam radiantis flammae quasi columnam praeferens]. OE tr. Defensor Liber Scintillarum (1969) iv. 44 Porta quoque semper uerecundiam in uultu de recordatione delicti : ber eac symle sceame on ansyne be gemynde gyltes. a1333 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 14th Cent. (1924) 20 Vor habbe ich þe and hym Þat markes berþ wyþ hym..Þarf me noþing drede. c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 1819 (MED) Ho raȝt hym..a starande ston..þat bere blusschande bemez as þe bryȝt sunne. 1600 R. Hakluyt tr. J. Gonzalez de Mendoça in Princ. Navigations (new ed.) III. 394 Many mountaines that beare shewes of mettals. 1790 Poet. Epist. to John Wolcot 15 Thy hypocrisy was well beseeming: You always bore a smile upon your face, Yielding the worst of hearts the best of grace. 1859 C. Darwin Origin of Species iv. 88 Male stag-beetles often bear wounds from the huge mandibles of other males. 1903 F. Simpson Bk. Cat xvii. 208 Real tortoiseshells may be called tricolour cats, for they should bear three colours.., namely black, red, and yellow, in distinct patches or blotches. 2015 Daily Star (Lebanon) (Nexis) 2 July His three-room home still bears the marks of the 1982 Israeli invasion. (b) transitive. To present or exhibit (a particular outward appearance); to have (a certain look).Recorded earliest in to bear a resemblance (also similarity, likeness, etc.) to (formerly also †of) at Phrases 1g. ΚΠ a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 39 Ðanne behoueð ðe..þat tu luuiȝe..aurich mann ðe berð ðin anlicnesse. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) vii. l. 1218 (MED) Piscis..Berth of tuo fisshes the figure. ?1515 Hyckescorner (de Worde) sig. B.i^v Outwarde he bereth a fayre face. 1653 E. Waterhouse Humble Apol. Learning 120 Ignorance and unletterednesse ill becomes any man who bears the Image of God. 1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 4. ⁋8 Falshood..shall hereafter bear a blacker Aspect. 1796 R. Southey Joan of Arc iv. 28 So firm a front They bear in battle. 1867 H. Bushnell Moral Uses Dark Things 188 We have, in our winter, a whole season of the year that bears a look of unbenignity. 1930 Essex Chron. 18 Apr. 9/5 The body was unclothed, and bore the appearance of being washed up by the sea. 2000 J. Aitken Pride & Perjury (2003) iv. 39 As we sat down to coffee he bore the demeanour of a lugubrious provincial undertaker reporting unforeseen difficulties in the arrangements for a family funeral. b. transitive. To have (a name, title, or designation).In quot. a1225 with reference to the symbolic taking of the name of Christ at baptism. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > naming > give a name to [verb (transitive)] > have or bear (name) beara1225 weara1586 carry1601 undergo1605 sustain1700 a1225 MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 59 His halie nome we nomen and beren In þe font þer we iclensed weren. c1400 ( G. Chaucer Treat. Astrolabe (Cambr. Dd.3.53) (1872) ii. §12. 23 After which planete the day berith his name. a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xiv. 164 All shall hym bowe that berys name In ilk cuntré. 1581 J. Marbeck Bk. Notes & Common Places 341 The Epistle which beareth the title to the Hebrues. 1678 tr. M. Charas Royal Pharmacopœa 214 This Balsom bears the Name of Apoplectick by reason it is a great Remedy against Apoplexies. 1740 J. Campbell Mem. Duke de Ripperda 75 It is agreed, that his Imperial and Catholick Majesty Charles VI. Roman Emperor, and his Catholick Majesty Philip V. King of Spain, and the Indies, shall use during their Lives the Titles they at present bear. 1831 J. Holland Treat. Manuf. Metal I. xv. 269 Immense quantities of wares, bearing in the trade the equivocal designation of run steel, have been daily cast. 1911 Expositor Dec. 213/1 When the neighbors heard that Mary had called the new-born boy Jesus, they did not ask what she meant, for there were other boys that bore the name. 2013 D. Goldberg Universe in Rearview Mirror iii. 99 Heinrich Olbers described the paradox that bears his name in 1823. c. transitive. To possess or enjoy (recognition, renown, a reputation, etc.). Also: to have (a particular price, value, or worth). ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > have or possess [verb (transitive)] > possess a condition or position haveOE hold1340 rejoicec1390 beara1393 possess?a1425 acquire1474 pack1925 society > trade and finance > monetary value > [adjective] wortheOE beara1393 valuable1539 money-worth1601 a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) i. l. 1900 (MED) Surquiderie..wolde bere a pris Above alle othre. a1450 Seven Sages (Cambr. Dd.1.17) (1845) l. 72 The fyfte mayster..That of wisdom bare grete loos. 1588 A. Munday Banqvet Daintie Conceits sig. E3^v The sweetest face..and highest head..Beare no more reckoning then the poorest slaue. 1707 London Gaz. No. 4366/2 After the Recoinage, each Piece of Money is to receive a Denomination much above the..Value it bears at present. 1816 W. Kirby & W. Spence Introd. Entomol. (1828) I. 331 It..is exported to India, where it bears a high price. a1845 T. Hood Recipe for Civilization in Wks. (1871) 298 That which bears the praise of nations. 1993 L. Tamura Hood River Issei xxii. 148 Hood River normally bore a reputation for a high degree of tolerance. d. transitive. Of an investment, loan, etc.: to have (interest or a specified rate of interest) stipulated in its terms.Perhaps sometimes coloured by the idea of yielding a profit; cf. branch III. ΚΠ 1686 W. Penn Information Persons inclined to Amer. 3 In Ireland, money bears the Interest of ten per cent. 1710 London Gaz. No. 4658/2 The Blank Tickets bear seven per Cent. Interest. 1813 J. M. Good et al. Pantologia at Loans The disadvantage which might arise to the stockholder from being paid off at par, if his principal bore a high rate of interest, has always made those who advance money on loans prefer a large capital bearing a low rate per cent. 1917 Investm. Weekly 26 Jan. 11/1 For the first two years the bonds bore interest at 4 per cent. noncumulative. 2012 U. Reifner & M. Schröder Usury Laws Pref. p. i The principle of Usura in the Roman ius communis as well as in canonic law started from the assumption that money lent from others should not bear interest. 5. transitive. Of a person or other animal: to have (an appendage, organ, etc.) as part of the body. Also of a part of the body: to have (an appendage).Also in contexts where the object is in figurative or extended use, for example in quots. OE, 1708.See also to bear a brain at brain n. Phrases 2b. ΘΚΠ the world > life > the body > part of body > have as part [verb (transitive)] bearOE wear1513 OE Wærferð tr. Gregory Dialogues (Hatton) (1900) ii. Pref. 94 Se of þære tide his cnihthades wæs berende ealdlice heortan & oferstah his ylde mid godum þeawum. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 150 Þe vicorne..bereð on his nase þe þorn. a1300 (?c1200) Prov. Alfred (Jesus Oxf.) (1955) 115 Þurh hokede honde þat he bereþ, him-seolue he for-vareþ. c1390 in C. Brown Relig. Lyrics 14th Cent. (1924) 142 (MED) Vche creatur þat beres bon and blood. a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) i. ii. 311 Seruants..that bare eyes To see alike mine Honor, as their Profits. View more context for this quotation 1708 A. Hill tr. Ovid in N. Tate & A. Hill tr. Ovid Celebrated Speeches Ajax & Ulysses 12 I bear the Blood of Jove as well as he. 1825 J. W. Lake in Ld. Byron Compl. Wks. I. p. xlii Every man who bears a heart within his bosom, of whatever sect, party, or nation, he may be, must warmly sympathize with the struggles of the regenerated children of Greece. 1911 Irish Naturalist 20 30 The femora of the walking legs bear a number of hair carrying prominences. 2007 L. M. Chiappe Glorified Dinosaurs v. 156/1 These Chinese bony-tailed birds still bore three clawed fingers—which probably projected from the outline of their asymmetrically feathered wing. 6. a. transitive. To experience, entertain (an idea, feeling, or emotion); to hold on to, harbour (a feeling, esp. a negative one). Often with against, towards, etc., a person or thing. Also with double object, e.g. quot. 1832.to bear (a person) a grudge, to bear malice, etc.: see the final element. ΚΠ OE Guthlac A 170 He in gæste bær heofoncundne hyht, hælu geræhte ecan lifes. lOE Homily (Corpus Cambr. 303) in J. Bazire & J. E. Cross Eleven Old Eng. Rogationtide Homilies (1989) 63 Þær sceal ælc þære manne inne beon beseanct mid sawle and mid lichamen þe nið bereð wið his broðer oððe wið nyttan freond. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 4454 Tu ne sla nan oþerr mann Wiþþ hande ne wiþþ herrte... Forr ȝiff þu beresst hete. & niþ. Ȝæn aniȝ lif. & sawle..Himm haffst tu slaȝenn witerrliȝ. Wiþþ herrte. & nohht wiþþ hande. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 1069 Vntil his broþer nith [Gött. ire] he bare. 1598 R. Grenewey tr. Tacitus Annales iv. ix. 103 She beareth the minde to passe the rest of her life with a Gentleman of Rome. 1726 J. Swift Gulliver II. iii. ii. 27 The Contempt they bear to practical Geometry. 1832 Museum of Foreign Lit. Sept. 232/1 To prove that he bore her no ill-will on that account, he bought a little present. 1881 J. S. Neish Byways 12 We may be sure those who bore a grudge against the ‘Nons’ rubbed their hands with ecstacy over the scandal. 1933 A. G. Macdonell England, their England (1983) 152 A young Harvard lepidopterist, who had fled to the wilds of Upper Burma in order to try to forget the passionate love which he bore for Miss Norma Talmadge. 2015 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 13 Mar. (Sport section 92) He said he bore no resentment towards the club over his 2007 departure. b. transitive. To feel and show (respect, reverence, loyalty, etc.) to, towards, or unto a person or thing. Also with double object, e.g. quot. 1799. Now rare.See also to bear faith at faith n. 1a.In early use also with indirect object implied. ΚΠ OE Cynewulf Juliana 29 Hio in gæste bær halge treowe, hogde georne þæt hire mægðhad mana gehwylces fore Cristes lufan clæne geheolde. a1300 in C. Brown Eng. Lyrics 13th Cent. (1932) 129 Holiday þov hold ful wel, ffader and Moder wrschepe ber. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) iv. l. 1376 (MED) These ar of tho that whilom were Servantz to love and trowthe beere. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 12096 Ye ber him right nan au [Gött., Trin. Cambr. awe]. 1455–6 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. July 1455 §20. m. 24 The feith, liegeaunce and duetee, that God knoweth we bere unto youre highnesse. 1556 tr. A. Mainardi Anatomi ii. f. 215^v Austen..sayth in sentence that he beareth this honoure towards the Canonicall bokes of the scripture, that he beleueth seurly that no one of them hath erred. 1652 Speech of Col. John Sares (title page) What a gallant mourning Ribbon is this, which I wear for the true Loyalty I bear to my King. 1728 E. Chambers Cycl. Tetradites, in Antiquity, a Name given to several different Sects of Hereticks, out of some particular Respect they bore to the Number four. 1799 tr. I. Kant Metaphysic of Morals II. 50 Reverence, which I bear others, or which another may require of me.., is the agnizing of a dignity in other men. 1860 Birmingham Council Proc. 19 Jan. 98 In humble testimony of the affectionate regard we bear towards your Royal Highnesses, we offer for your gracious acceptance some specimens of the Manufactures of our Borough. 2018 @PJkelly66 9 Mar. in twitter.com (accessed 15 Oct. 2019) If a player wants to play for the country he's a citizen of and bears allegiance to then he can. 7. a. transitive. To possess inherently (a quality, attribute, power, or capacity); to have and display as an essential characteristic. Cf. to bear life at Phrases 1h. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > communication > manifestation > [verb (transitive)] uppec897 atewOE sutelec1000 openOE awnc1175 kithec1175 forthteec1200 tawnec1220 let witc1275 forthshowa1300 to pilt out?a1300 showa1300 barea1325 mythc1330 unfoldc1374 to open outc1390 assign1398 mustera1400 reyve?a1400 vouchc1400 manifest?a1425 outshowc1425 ostendc1429 explayc1443 objecta1500 reveala1500 patefy?1509 decipher1529 relieve1533 to set outa1540 utter1542 report1548 unbuckle1548 to set forth1551 demonstrate1553 to hold forth1560 testify1560 explicate1565 forthsetc1565 to give show of1567 denudec1572 exhibit1573 apparent1577 display?1578 carry1580 cipher1583 laya1586 foreshow1590 uncloud?1594 vision1594 explain1597 proclaim1597 unroll1598 discloud1600 remonstrate1601 resent1602 to bring out1608 palesate1613 pronounce1615 to speak out1623 elicit1641 confess1646 bear1657 breathe1667 outplay1702 to throw out1741 evolve1744 announce1781 develop1806 exfoliate1808 evince1829 exposit1882 pack1925 OE Ælfric Gram. (St. John's Oxf.) 135 Hi synd eac gecwedene gervndia of ðam worde gero ic bere, forðan ðe hi berað manega andgytu. c1390 (c1303) R. Mannyng Handlyng Synne (Vernon) (1892) i. 216 (MED) Sum wicche-craft I trouwe þou bere, þat þi bondes þe not dere. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 2682 Circumcising Bers in it-self gret for-biseyng. c1475 (c1445) R. Pecock Donet (1921) 127 Whanne euer eny dede is forboden for eny special grounde boren in it. 1657 R. Baxter Certain Disputations Rights to Sacraments i. 26 Else we must deny credit to that which beareth plain Evidence of Credibility. 1714 tr. Familiar Instr. Predestination & Grace 110 That Prelate..actually bears that Quality, which the Legend expressly Remarks to belong to him. 1879 G. F. Maclear Celts v. 79 Another..incident, which bears internal evidence of high antiquity. 2012 Afr. News (Nexis) 29 Dec. It is a celebration of excellence, bearing courage and the can-do mind set of a typical Ondo person. b. transitive. Of a thing: to have (a relation, correspondence, etc.) to something else. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > relationship > relate to [verb (transitive)] haveeOE toucha1325 to have respect to (formerly also unto)a1398 connex?1541 report1548 bear1556 respect1614 to stand to ——1634 owe1644 connect1751 to tie in1958 1556 R. Record Castle of Knowl. 59 The lengthe of the Tropike dothe beare the same proportion to the Equinoctiall, as 11 doth to 12. 1690 J. Locke Ess. Humane Understanding ii. xxviii. 168 Nothing finite, bears any proportion to infinite. 1841 T. B. Macaulay Warren Hastings in Edinb. Rev. Oct. 172 His mind bears a singular analogy to his body. 1863 H. Fawcett Man. Polit. Econ. ii. v. 194 The ratio which population bears to capital. 2015 V. Forrester tr. J. Gladding Virginia Woolf i. 53 The scene bears no relation to the rest of the novel. 8. transitive. To exercise (power or influence). Also: to hold (an office, rank, or position). Now rare.In quot. OE apparently in sense ‘to hold (a specified position)’, perhaps with contextual connotations of sense 12. ΘΚΠ society > authority > [verb (transitive)] wieldeOE bearOE rulea1393 sway1575 carry1598 OE Glosses to Boethius (Corpus Cambr. 214) in W. C. Hale Edition & Codicol. Study CCCC MS 214 (Ph.D. diss., Univ. Pennsylvania) (1978) 282 Tu quoque num tandem tot periculis adduci potuisti ut cum decuriato gerere magistratum putares : þu eac swylce quysþu æt nextan mid swa feala frecennyssum bon togelæd mihtesðu þæt mid þam besciredan beran oþþe adreohan lareowdom þu wendest. c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 2292 Sire Geffreies child bi riȝte lawe of londe, Scholde habbe ibore the heritage. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 6949 (MED) Quen aaron was ded..His sun..bar state of his fader-hade [a1400 Trin. Cambr. his fadris astate he bere]. 1504 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VII (Electronic ed.) Parl. Jan. 1504 §3. m. 4 Also it is enacted..that no marchaunt now beyng of oure seid staple..bere eny voyce, ne have eny saynges in eny courte. 1650 R. Stapleton tr. F. Strada De Bello Belgico ii. 29 That they should bear all the sway. 1743 Ess. Civil Govt. i. iii. 128 It discovers an impotence of mind, unable to bear power without being intoxicated with its efects. 1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 671 Those great Celtic houses, which..bore rule in Ulster. 1935 Cornishman 28 Nov. 5/2 A story which tells of progress, and with it added responsibilities laid upon the shoulders of those who bear office. 2007 Red Deer Express (Alberta) (Nexis) 3 Jan. 2 A multiplicity of convoluted storylines and reciprocal barbs surely factored into the city's change of heart, but in the end, two compelling issues bore sway. 9. transitive. To give (written or oral testimony or evidence); (figurative) to provide or constitute (evidence or proof). Often with to.to bear evidence, to bear record, to bear witness: see the nouns.Recorded earliest in to bear witness at witness n. Phrases 2. ΚΠ lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1127 He wæs an hæfod ða að to swerene & witnesse to berene þær ða eorles sunu of Normandi & þes eorles dohter of Angeow wæron totwemde. ?a1475 (?a1425) tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1865) I. 77 As hit is..seide, Paradise..hathe securite to the whiche seyenge the altitude of the place berrethe testimonye. 1534 J. Fewterer tr. U. Pinder Myrrour Christes Passion f. lxxx^v For that cause I came into this worlde: that I might bere testimony and witnes to the truthe. 1691 T. Tryon Pythagoras his Mystick Philos. Reviv'd xi. 205 The current of the Scripture bears Testimony to a greater Light to break forth in the latter dayes. 1782 W. Cowper Poems 268 Poring on thy page, whose ev'ry line Bears proof of an intelligence divine. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 508 Titles..against which he had often borne his testimony. 1914 H. V. O'Brien New Men for Old 46 It was a scene set on high to bear testament that the God of Beauty was still in his heaven. 2008 Church Times 9 May 25/1 His oratorios, choral sequences, and partsongs bear testimony to his passion for amateur music-making. 10. transitive (reflexive). To conduct oneself, behave (in a specified manner). Formerly also without complement: †to behave properly, conduct oneself well (obsolete). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > behave or conduct oneself [verb (reflexive)] wieldOE leadc1175 bear?c1225 steera1250 to take onc1275 contain1297 to shift one's handa1300 demeanc1320 guyc1325 govern1340 keep1362 havec1390 rulec1390 guide14.. conceivea1425 maintain?a1425 maynea1425 behavec1440 disporta1450 orderc1487 use1497 handle?1529 convey1530 gesture1542 treat1568 carry1584 deport1598 bestow1606 comport1616 mienc1680 conduct1706 ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 2 Hu me schal beoren him wið. c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 796 Which of yow þ^tbereth hym best of alle. ?c1500 Conversion of St. Paul (Digby) l. 524 Who-so in pride beryth hym to hye, with mysheff [emended in ed. to myscheff] shalbe mekyd. 1593 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie ii. vii. 133 Who beare them selues bold vpon humaine authoritie. 1658 tr. J. Ussher Ann. World 163 Clearchus..bearing himself for a Tyrant of Byzantium. 1754 Bp. T. Sherlock Disc. (1759) I. ix. 257 A Man may bear himself so well in Disguise, as not to be discovered. 1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 618 The latest generations would know how..he had borne himself. 2006 Mail on Sunday (Nexis) 31 Dec. 27 The condemned man bore himself with dignity and calmly refused a blindfold. II. To support or hold up, and related senses. * To support, sustain, or endure. 11. a. transitive. To support or sustain (a physical weight or strain).Often (and in earliest use) in figurative contexts; cf. sense 12. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] > a weight or pressure (of so much) bearOE sustainc1405 support1578 OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) xx. 12 Þas ytemestan worhton ane tide & þu dydest hig gelice us þe bæron byrþena on þises dæges hætan. a1425 J. Wyclif Sel. Eng. Wks. (1869) I. 66 Þei shal bere..the wiȝte of þe olde lawe. c1475 (c1399) Mum & Sothsegger (Cambr. Ll.4.14) (1936) i. l. 41 (MED) The braunchis aboue boren grett charge. c1550 in J. G. Dalyell Scotish Poems 16th Cent. (1801) II. 160 Our seiknes on thy back thou bure. 1649 J. Goodwin Ὑβριστοδίκαι: Obstructours of Justice 86 That confessionate strain of David unto God, tibi soli peccavi, Against the,, thee onely have I sinned, is too sandy a foundation to bear the weight of such a tower as we speak of. 1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §246 Proportionate in every part to the stress it was likely to bear. 1849 J. Ruskin Seven Lamps Archit. ii. 34 For the shafts do, indeed, bear as much as they are ever imagined to bear. 1915 N.Y. Teachers Monogr. May 150/1 The older boys had already found the ice too weak to bear even the smallest among them. 2002 M. Punke Revenant (2015) 134 His leg could bear the full weight of his body. b. intransitive. To support or sustain a physical weight or strain; spec. †(a) Building (of a piece of timber) to withstand a strain along its length while supported only at each end (obsolete); (b) (of ice) to support the weight of a person, etc., without breaking. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > industry > building or constructing > that which is built or constructed > [verb (intransitive)] > stand strain without support bear1660 the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (intransitive)] > bear weight (of ice) bear1768 1660 Public Intelligencer No. 214. 1057 The Ice in the Belt doth not bear yet, which makes us think that we need not fear attempts of the enemy from thence. 1667 Act 19 Charles II c. 3 in Coll. Statutes Reigns of King Charles I. & King Charles II. 315 That no Ioysts bear at longer length then Ten Foot. 1679 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. viii. 140 Joysts are seldome made to Beare at above ten foot in length. 1768 G. Washington Diary (1925) I. 246 Attempted to go into the Neck on the Ice, but it wd. not bear. 1833 Chambers' Edinb. Jrnl. 28 Dec. 381/2 [He] succeeded in forming a curling rink weeks before the ice would bear in any other quarter. 1917 O. Viney Let. 27 Dec. in E. V. Lucas Post-Bag Diversions (1934) 58 We cycled to Hartwell lake..as we heard that it was bearing. 1996 Weekend Tel. 10 Feb. 3/6 That meant only one thing: a trip into the Fens to see if the ice would bear. c. transitive. With adverb or prepositional phrase as complement. Of a fixed structure: to support, hold up (a person or thing) moving across or over a body of water, road, valley, or other obstacle or gap. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] > something going across bear1703 1703 T. Brown et al. Contin. Lett. from Dead to Living (new ed.) 263 If any Beau wants a Bridge to bear him over a dirty Channel, a Player lies down instead of a Plank. 1813 Daily National Intelligencer (Washington) 12 Apr. He sprang upon the ice which giving way let him down to his middle in water—he scrambled up however upon the unbroken ice, which bore him across. 1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. §11. 75 Finding a bridge which bore us across the crevasse. 2016 Kingston (Ont.) Whig-Standard (Nexis) 15 July a1 The Ogdensburg airport is located 75 minutes east of Kingston along Highway 401 and across the international bridge that bears travellers over the St. Lawrence River. 12. transitive. To take on (a duty or charge, esp. a financial one); to be responsible for; formerly also with †out. Also: to assume, be given, or have attributed to one (responsibility, blame, guilt, etc.). ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > payment > pay money or things [verb (transitive)] > pay (a claim, dues, or charge) doOE bearOE payc1300 content1433 answer1471 recontenta1525 sustain1530 even1619 settle1688 foot1819 OE Wulfstan Canons of Edgar (Junius) (1972) lxviii. 19 Gif man gehadodne mid fæhðe belecge.., ladige mid his magum þe fæhða motan mid beran oððe fore betan. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 7775 To bere þeruore a certein rente bi ȝere. 1439 in F. J. Furnivall Fifty Earliest Eng. Wills (1882) 125 Certayne annuities borne oute of hem [sc. thos two maners]. c1450 (?c1400) tr. Honorius Augustodunensis Elucidarium (1909) 18 (MED) Whi sent not god aungel to bere his gilt? 1529 T. More in W. B. Scoones Four Cent. Eng. Lett. (1880) 12 There shall no poore neighbour..bere no losse. 1606 G. W. tr. Justinus Hist. 24 a Darius..promised to beare out the whole charges of those Warres. 1792 H. H. Brackenridge Mod. Chivalry (1937) I. i. 33 He might make himself easy; for be the matter as it might, he would take care that Teague should..bear the blame. 1878 N. Devon Jrnl. 7 Nov. 2/1 The Porrett warming apparatus was the gift of Mrs. Humphreys,..who also bore the cost of fixing it. 1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day iii. 48 My father bore the brunt of this man's furious complaints. 2014 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 18 Dec. 48/4 John D. Rockefeller Jr. bore ultimate responsibility for what came to be known as ‘the Ludlow Massacre’. 13. a. transitive. To suffer (pain, hardship, or adversity) without being overcome or overwhelmed; to endure or resist (something) without giving in; to withstand; to cope with. Formerly also with †away, †out. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > be constant or steadfast [verb (intransitive)] > endure without giving way bearOE sustaina1382 dreec1400 to bear, hold tack1580 to stick out1677 to tough it (out)1830 to keep (carry, have) a stiff upper lip1837 to take it (or life) on the chin1928 to hang in1969 the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > oppose [verb (transitive)] > resist > maintain resistance against to stand before ——OE bearOE tholec1175 sustainc1330 last1340 suffera1387 support1483 outstand1571 hold1592 to hold outa1616 ridea1649 brunt1800 to stand up to1921 OE Regularis Concordia (Tiber.) (1993) lxv. 135 Dum senserit se nimia inualituditudine [read inualitudine] pregrauari ita ut iam non possit portari, veniat frater ille ante abbatem : þænne he ongyt hine mid swiþlicre untrumnysse beon gehefegudne swa þæt he [perhaps read heo] eallunga na mæge beon boren cume broþor se toforan þam abbude. a1325 (c1280) Southern Passion (Pepys 2344) (1927) l. 1587 Þe eorþe ne miȝte bere þi deþ. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 15618 Him..þat baret for yow bare. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) John xvi. f. cxlv I have yet many thynges to saye vnto you: but ye cannot beare them awaye nowe. 1574 A. Golding tr. A. Marlorat Catholike Expos. Reuelation 17 Blessed is the man that beareth out temptation. 1611 Bible (King James) Gen. iv. 13 My punishment is greater then I can beare . View more context for this quotation 1747 H. Glasse Art of Cookery ix. 81 Make it as hot as you can bear your Finger in it. 1855 Ladies' Compan. Apr. 198/1 Whether his savage nature could no longer bear the pangs of hunger, and he had turned upon and murdered one or other of his feeble comrades..must remain conjecture. 1901 Philadelphia Med. Jrnl. 26 Oct. 680/2 In 6 cases of myocarditis in which it was necessary to give ether, he has found that, as a rule they bore it well, although in some instances it was necessary to abandon the operation on account of threatened collapse. 2017 Telegraph (India) (Nexis) 1 Oct. His family alleged he had killed himself as he could not bear the stress. b. (a) transitive. To endure (a person, thing, situation, or circumstance) without opposition or resistance; to allow, sanction; to accept without complaint. Also with infinitive or clause as object. Also intransitive. Chiefly in negative contexts.Cf. to grin and bear it at grin v.² 3, to bear and forbear at forbear v. 8c. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > calmness > patience > endure patiently [verb (transitive)] > bear with or tolerate forbearc897 tholec950 bearOE abidec1300 bidea1325 takec1330 suffer1340 wielda1375 to have patience with (also in, toward)c1384 supportc1384 to sit with ——c1400 sustainc1400 thulgec1400 acceptc1405 to away with1528 brook1530 well away1533 to bear with —1538 digest1553 to comport with1565 stand1567 purse?1571 to put up1573 well away1579 comport1588 fadge1592 abrook1594 to come away1594 to take up with1609 swallow1611 embracea1616 to pack up1624 concocta1627 to set down bya1630 to take with ——1632 tolerate1646 brook1658 stomach1677 pouch1819 OE Ælfric Let. to Wulfsige (Corpus Cambr.) in B. Fehr Die Hirtenbriefe Ælfrics (1914) 1 Ic secge eow preostum, þæt ic sylf nelle beran eowre gymeleaste on eowrum þeowdome. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 12991 Na langer Mai i nu þi wicked wordes ber. 1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. xxvi. 37 The kyng myght no longer bear by his honour the iniuryes and wronges. 1659 T. Burton Diary (1828) IV. 49 I say not but the army will bear, that you sit to levy money. 1706 N. Rowe Ulysses i. i. 230 My Lords, this Railer is not to be born. 1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 26 The public would not have borne to see any Papist among the servants of their Majesties. 1908 B. Stoker Lady Athelyne (2007) xxii. 248 The tone was so peremptory and so ‘superior’ that any man to whom it had been used might well have taken offence; but Athlyne was already schooled to bear. 2018 @emmabclarke 23 June in twitter.com (accessed 4 Mar. 2019) I can't bear it. The country won't bear it. Millions of people feel politically homeless. MPs need to find some courage—fast. (b) transitive. In weakened sense, in negative, interrogative, or hypothetical contexts. To put up with, tolerate, abide (a person or thing); to reconcile oneself to. Chiefly with can or can't. Cf. abear v. 2. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > absence of resistance > accept without resistance [verb (transitive)] > put up with or become reconciled to bear1540 reconcile1543 to take up with1609 to come to terms1860 to live with ——1937 1540 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Catonis Disticha Moralia f. 31 One couetouse persone can not beare another. 1697 J. Vanbrugh Æsop iii A crab-fish once her daughter told..She could not bear to see her go, Sidle, sidle, to and fro. 1710 Tatler No. 219. ⁋4 There is no reasonable Man can bear him half an Hour. 1813 J. Austen Pride & Prejudice I. xv. 160 The man whom she could not bear to speak of. View more context for this quotation 1866 Aunt Judy's Mag. Oct. 357 He thought he should never be able to bear the sight of plum pudding and raspberry cream again. 1953 V. Bell Sel. Lett. (1993) 537 I can't bear such occasions but I can't get out of it. 2012 Austral. Financial Rev. (Nexis) 3 Nov. 44 I often encountered that superior, ‘oh how can you bear it’ (i.e. the heat, the pollution, the traffic and crowds). c. transitive. Simply: to experience, undergo (something, esp. something unpleasant or distressing); to suffer (something). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > suffer (adversity or affliction) [verb (transitive)] thave835 i-dreeeOE tholec897 abeareOE underbearc950 adreeOE dreeOE driveOE i-tholeOE throwOE underfoc1000 bearOE bidec1200 suffera1250 abidec1275 drinka1340 endure1340 underfong1382 receivec1384 abyea1393 sustain1398 finda1400 undergoa1400 get?c1430 underganga1470 ponder?a1525 a dog's lifea1528 tolerate1531 to stand to ——1540 to feel the weight of?1553 enjoy1577 carry1583 abrook1594 to stand under ——a1616 to fall a victim to1764 the mind > emotion > suffering > suffer mental pain [verb (transitive)] thave835 i-dreeeOE tholec897 underbearc950 adreeOE dreeOE driveOE i-tholeOE throwOE underfoc1000 bearOE takec1175 bidec1200 suffera1250 leadc1330 drinka1340 endure1340 wielda1375 underfong1382 receivec1384 sustain1398 finda1400 undergoa1400 underganga1470 ponder?a1525 tolerate1531 to go through ——1535 to feel the weight of?1553 enjoy1577 carry1583 abrook1594 OE tr. Defensor Liber Scintillarum (1969) ii. 24 Qui uitae futurae premia..excogitat, mala omnia uitae presentis equanimiter portat : se þe lifes towerdes meda..geþencð, yfelu ealle lifes andwerdes emlice he byrð. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 3616 Ȝuw birrþ berenn bliþeliȝ Þeowwdom off ȝure laferrd. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 33 He ne may no þing bere be boȝsamnesse. a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Fox, Wolf, & Cadger l. 2182 in Poems (1981) 71 Thre battis he bure, or he his feit micht find. c1580 Amadis of Gaule 273 This great sorow that I beare and suffer. 1715 A. Pope tr. Homer Iliad I. i. 270 The Wrongs I bear From Atreus' Son. 1816 J. Wilson City of Plague ii. ii. 118 A melancholy pleasant to be borne. 1870 W. Morris Earthly Paradise I. i. 281 That we can bear such things and yet not die. 2009 Ottawa Citizen (Nexis) 30 July f4 Please inform ‘Daddy's’ wife that what she felt so many years ago is nothing compared to the sadness that ‘Gina’ will bear throughout her life. 14. a. transitive. To hold up against, sustain (a source of strain) successfully; †to stand to be subjected to a particular action (obsolete). Also (and now chiefly) figurative: to withstand (criticism, scrutiny, etc.); to stand up to (comparison) with. ΚΠ ?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. xxx Lx. mares..able to beare the hors. 1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xxiv. 33 Thy great imployment Will not beare question. View more context for this quotation 1762 W. Falconer Shipwreck ii. 21 The Ship no longer can her top-sails bear. 1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §137 The cable..would scarcely have borne to have been heaved up. 1932 Courier & Advertiser (Dundee) 18 Jan. 3/2 Many of his figures won't bear criticism. 1997 Daily Tel. (Sydney) (Nexis) 11 June 69 With international rugby dotted with spectacular fullbacks, dasher Sadourny bears comparison with any of them. 2018 i (Nexis) 8 Oct. 35 As always, the actual science in the fiction didn't bear close scrutiny. b. transitive. To admit of, allow; to be fit or suitable for; to warrant. Often with present participle as object. Cf. not to bear thinking about (also on, of, upon) at Phrases 2d. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > possibility > allow, admit of [verb (transitive)] suffera1400 to give leave?a1513 admita1538 endure1593 bear1597 thole1770 1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke iii. 181 This kind [of musicke] will beare any allowances whatsoeuer tolerable in other musick, except changing the ayre & leauing the key. a1643 Visct. Falkland Reply in Disc. Infallibility (1651) 214 Why doth she not expresse her exceptions, or at least tell us, that the rule is not so generall, but that it will beare some. 1849 J. Ruskin Seven Lamps Archit. i. 25 It is not less the boast of some styles that they can bear ornament. 1861 Amer. Agriculturist July 205/2 The recipe..is good enough..to bear repeating, and we can warrant it to contain no injurious ingredients. 1939 Atlanta Daily World 3 Apr. 2/2 A trio of piano, guitar and clarinet known only as ‘Three's a Crowd’ will bear watching. 2016 Sunday Independent (Ireland) (Nexis) 18 Sept. 16 This record has given rise to the notion that Mayo ‘bottle it’ on the big day. It's an accusation which bears investigation. †15. intransitive. To withstand examination, stand up to scrutiny; (hence) to be acceptable. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > testing > proof, demonstration > prove, demonstrate [verb (intransitive)] > be proved to be provec1300 verifya1387 approve1587 improve1612 bear1710 to turn up1756 to turn out1780 wash1849 1710 R. Steele Tatler No. 200 If the Matter bears, I shall not be unjust to his Merit. 1737 D. Waterland Rev. Doctr. Eucharist 112 The Argument will not bear in the View before mentioned. 1741 S. Richardson Pamela III. xxxii. 227 We are going into Personals again, Gentlemen..And that won't bear. ** To support, keep up, or maintain. Cf. to bear up at Phrasal verbs 1. 16. a. transitive. To hold (a person or thing) up and prevent him, her, or it from falling or sinking; to support, keep up. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] to bear upeOE underbearc950 bearOE holdc1000 weighc1200 to hold up1297 upholda1300 sustainc1330 undersetc1330 comforta1382 underbear1382 upbear1390 sustaina1398 upkeepc1412 carrya1425 supporta1425 chargea1500 convey1514 avoke1529 confirm1542 stay1548 to carry up1570 bolster1581 lift1590 upstay1590 atlas1593 sustent1605 statuminatea1628 firm1646 appui1656 establish1664 shoulder1674 to keep up1681 upheave1729 withhold1769 the world > space > relative position > support > support oneself [verb (reflexive)] bear1684 steady1848 OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 2nd Ser. (Cambr. Gg.3.28) xl. 339 On eorðlicere cyrcan lið stan ofer stane, and ælc berð oþerne. 1684 R. Waller tr. Ess. Nat. Exper. Acad. del Cimento 50 The Water..may fill about half the Ball, that the Fishes may move, and bear themselves thereon. a1752 R. Erskine Job's Hymns (1753) 71 No pillars bear the fabric grand, But just his will and care. 1917 G. H. Shepard Applic. Efficiency Princ. vii. 87 He finds that the water bears him with practically no effort on his part, and that the stroke is of only secondary importance. 2012 J. Ten Have-De Labije & R. J. Neborsky Mastering Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy iv. 88 Do you sometimes have diarrhoea?..The idea that your legs will not bear you? †b. transitive. To cause a horse to hold up (its head) by using a tight rein. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > travel > transport > riding on horse (or other animal) > ride (a horse or other animal) [verb (transitive)] > control with reins > hold up horse's head with rein bear1566 1566 T. Blundeville Order curing Horses Dis. f. 32^v in Fower Offices Horsemanshippe Let him..be ridden two or thre Myles abrode, by such a one as will beare his heade, and make him to bring it in. 1608 A. Wotton Trial Romish Clergies Title to Church 344 Shall I be carelesse in bearing my horse head, and holding him vp from falling, because I am sure he treads neuer a sure step, but will stumble or trip continually, do the best I can? 17. transitive. Music. To add or sustain in a supportive role (the burden or low undersong of a melody). Also in extended use. Cf. burden n. 9. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > sing [verb (transitive)] > sing specific part bearc1405 second1595 treble1606 organizea1699 undertone1873 c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 673 This Somonour baar to hym a styf burdoun. 1651 Bp. J. Hall Susurrium cum Deo lxix. 253 Who hath heard..the Bittern bearing her base in the coldest Moneths? 1753 Country Gentleman's Compan. II. i. 6 Large dogs..must as it were bear the Base in the Concert. 1813 W. Scott Rokeby v. vii. 215 A manly voice..Bare burthen to the music well. 1936 Folk-lore 47 150 The central body of dancers is also the chorus, which, while dancing, bears the burden of the song. †18. transitive (reflexive). To exalt, raise, or promote oneself on the strength of a specified status, circumstance, etc.; to presume on or upon. Also intransitive in same sense. Obsolete.Chiefly in collocation with high. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > be ranked socially [verb (intransitive)] bear?1529 state1592 society > society and the community > social class > accord social rank to [verb (transitive)] > elevate or raise to a higher position raisec1175 elevate1509 amount1523 bear?1529 advance?1566 elate1578 prelate1626 hitch1805 the mind > emotion > pride > overweening or presumption > be overweening or presumptuous [verb (reflexive)] relievea1382 presumec1425 pressc1480 bear1603 ?1529 R. Hyrde tr. J. L. Vives Instr. Christen Woman ii. ix. sig. H.ii Ther be some women that beare them selfe high of other folkes honore. 1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 894 The Spaniards bearing themselues vpon their wealth, were too proud. 1641 Naunton's Fragmenta Regalia sig. A4 The Gent. (bearing high on my Lords favor). 1756 F. Warner Eccl. Hist. Eng. I. v. 335 The bishop of Winchester..bore himself high on these distinctions. †19. transitive. To support or endorse (a person) in a course of action. Also reflexive: to defend oneself, be one's own advocate. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > [verb (transitive)] > support or stand by sustainc1325 bear1535 to stand or fall1535 shoulder1577 1535 N. Shaxton in J. Strype Eccl. Memorials (1721) I. ii. App. lxi. 150 If yee..bear the Abbot in his evil dealing that he may escape..see yee thereto. 1567 J. Jewel Def. Apol. Churche Eng. ii. xii. 226 Touchinge your vncourteous speache, I weigh it none otherwise, but as it is. The Truthe wilbe hable euermore to beare it selfe. 1660 G. Whitehead True Ministers 5 No other power will own you, nor bear you in your practises. ***** To hold or have on the surface, and extended uses. 20.** transitive. Of a stationary object: to have (a person or thing) on it; to have or hold on top. Also with on it, its surface, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > high position > set in a high position [verb (transitive)] > hold up or aloft to bear upeOE bearc1380 to show up?1531 the world > space > relative position > high position > position upon > be upon (something) [verb (transitive)] > have (something) upon bear1852 c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 369 Þe nayles three, þat paynede crist wan he was born on þe rode Tree. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. xi. i. 566 Ayre..beriþ þe fyre and is ibore of þe watre. 1542 T. Elyot Bibliotheca at Trimyxos A lampe or candelstycke, bearynge thre lyghtes. 1660 H. Fletcher Perfect Politician 342 At each corner..there was erected an upright Pillar, which bore on their tops Lions and Dragons. 1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin II. xxvii. 115 Eva's little table..bore on it her favorite vase, with a single white moss rose-bud in it. 1926 Santa Ana (Calif.) Daily Evening Reg. 5 Apr. 5/5 At each place stood a miniature hat-stand bearing a tiny hat. 2006 M. Blakely Come Sundown 413 I grabbed the corner of a blanket bearing a young woman who had been shot through the leg by a rifle ball. 21. a. transitive. Of an object: to have (something) written, printed, or inscribed upon it. Also of a document or text: to contain (words, an image, etc.).See also to bear date at Phrases 2b. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > written text > an inscription > inscribe [verb (transitive)] > have written inscription beara1387 subsign1572 a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 219 (MED) Eueriche of þilke ymages bare his owne lordes name i-write on his brest. 1572 in J. H. Burton Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1878) 1st Ser. II. 160 The plakkis..bering in the circumscriptioun the dait..1557. 1655 T. Stanley Hist. Philos. I. iii. 105 A Pillar..bare this inscription, Ground Sacred Diana. ?1740 J. Cuninghame Petition 6 Sir George McKenzie's Criminals, Tit. 30th, of Injuries, &c. Page 154. §5th. bearing these Words, viz. ‘That infamous Libels..are the most permanent of all Injuries’. 1852 Aberdeen Jrnl. 10 Mar. 6/6 The coin of Nerva bears a representation of his head on the obverse. 1902 Motor World 4 Dec. 308/2 In contests where the route is marked at a point 200 yards in advance of dangerous places in the highway a yellow flag, bearing the word ‘Caution’ should be displayed. 2010 Illawarra (Austral.) Mercury (Nexis) 29 Oct. 3 He began making boats more than 20 years ago, inspired by a postcard he received bearing a picture of a boat. b. transitive (in passive). With on, upon, or (now Indian English) in. To be registered or enrolled in a specified organization; spec. to be placed on the list of an army, division of the army, or a ship's crew. Also: to be listed on the books or register of a specified organization; (more generally) to be placed on a list. Now chiefly Indian English. ΘΚΠ society > communication > record > list > be entered in list [verb (passive)] bear1654 1654 J. Greene Let. 12 June (P.R.O.: SP 18/83) f. 85 According to your order..his Certificat is new made, w^ch denominates him A Seaman... This I thoug[ht] [g]ood to Certify y^t if your worshippe thincke meete hee shall bee borne upon y^t account. 1758 J. Blake Plan Marine Syst. 7 Each man so listed..shall be borne upon the said ship, in the same class in which he is rated. 1835 Reg. Deb. Congr. 11 App. 293/1 Sixty-eight cases borne upon the conjectural list were rejected, and thirty-six not borne on the list were rejected. 1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 38 Though borne on the English establishment, that regiment..had been almost exclusively composed of Scotchmen. 1946 Manch. Guardian 3 Apr. 5/2 All ranks will be borne on the establishment of the Army in garrisons in Europe. 1998 Times of India 25 Jan. 28 The Contractors registered in appropriate class borne in the list of Irrigation, Public Health and Highway departments of above State shall also be eligible. 2000 Bull. Banking & Finance 3 f77 In such a case the credit facility extended to the borrower will be borne on the books of the original lender till it is taken over. 22. a. transitive. Of a statement, report, story, etc.: to mean (something); to purport, imply; to state, allege. Chiefly with clause (esp. that-clause) as object. Now rare (Scottish in later use). ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > meaning > meaning of linguistic unit > mean, signify, express [verb (transitive)] tokenc888 meaneOE sayOE bequeathc1175 signifya1382 beara1400 bemeana1400 soundc1400 designc1429 applyc1450 betoken1502 express1526 conveya1568 intend1572 carry1584 denotate1597 pronounce1610 to set out1628 implya1640 speak1645 denote1668 designate1741 describe1808 enunciate1859 read1894 a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Trin. Cambr.) l. 14753 Oure lord hem ȝaf þis vnswere But þei wist not what hit bare. 1478 in T. Thomson Acts Lords Auditors (1839) 75/2 His lettre of obligatioun..bering the sett of the sammyn [landis]. 1589 G. Puttenham Arte Eng. Poesie iii. xix. 167 The Greeks call this figure Anadiplosis, I call him the Redouble as the originall beares. 1663 B. Gerbier Counsel to Builders 53 The description of..the Palace of Solomon bears, that it was made with smooth hard stone. 1745 J. Cope Let. 9 Aug. in Rep. Conduct Sir. J. Cope (1749) 116 The Letter bears, that the pretended Prince of Wales came lately on the Coast of Uist and Barra. 1802 W. Scott Thomas the Rhymer i. Introd. in Poet. Wks. (1838) 318/2 The popular tale bears, that Thomas was carried off, at an early age, to the Fairy Land, where he acquired all the knowledge which made him afterwards famous. 1927 D. Murray Memories Old College Glasgow 94 Beneath this there was another inscription bearing that the building was erected in 1656. 1954 Session Cases 300 On 13th October 1952 the appellant served on the respondent a notice of resumption of certain parts of the farm of Cowbog. The notice bore that the reason was ‘for the purpose of farming the same myself’. b. transitive. Esp. of a document or text: to appear ostensibly, purport to be something.Common in Scottish use. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > statement > assertion without proof > [verb (intransitive)] > claim, maintain, or profess pretend1494 to make for ——c1522 bear1641 1641 in Rec. Parl. Scotl. to 1707 (2007) 1641/7/68 That no signatoures be past which beires to be granted with consent of the Erle of Traquair, thesaurer. 1759 W. Robertson in H. Campbell Love Lett. Mary Queen of Scots (1824) 235 A French translation..bears to have been printed at Edinburgh by Thomas Waltem, 1572. a1859 L. Hunt Autobiogr. (1860) iii. 72 A portrait..bearing to be the likeness of a certain Erasmus Smith, Esq. 1969 Jrnl. Criminal Law 33 204 Proof of approval consisted in each case of the production of a copy letter bearing to be from St. Andrews House. 1995 Times 25 July 19/5 Albyn had granted a floating charge that bore to be over ‘the whole of the property’. III. To produce, yield, give birth to. 23. a. transitive. Of a plant: to produce or yield (flowers, fruit, etc.). Also in weakened sense: to possess (flowers, leaves, etc.). Cf. the figurative phrase to bear fruit at Phrases 3. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > by growth or development > grow or vegetate [verb (intransitive)] > bear (fruit, flower, etc.) bearOE berry1865 the world > plants > by growth or development > grow, sprout, or bear fruit [verb (transitive)] > bring forth, produce, or bear bearOE makea1325 showc1330 yielda1400 producea1513 carry1577 hatch1592 throw1738 OE Genesis B 479 Þæt wæs deaðes beam, se bær bitres fela. OE West Saxon Gospels: Matt. (Corpus Cambr.) vii. 17 Ælc god treow byrþ gode wæstmas. c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 7232 To blowe, & suþþe to bere frut. a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) (1891) l. 3128 Pulled..Fro the Roser that it bere. 1567 T. Drant tr. Horace Pistles in tr. Horace Arte of Poetrie sig. Diij Whilste sommer swage, and the figge tree Hyr pryme frute haue I bore. a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) iv. iii. 421 The Oakes beare Mast, the Briars Scarlet Heps. View more context for this quotation 1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Low-worm That Turmentle which bears a yellow flower. 1873 A. Wood Leaves & Flowers xxvi. 101 A biennial herb lives two years. During the first it germinates, grows, and bears leaves only. 2005 Daily Tel. 23 May 5/1 The first Bramley tree, which still bears fruit, was planted in around 1809. b. transitive. Of land, the soil, a place, etc.: to produce or yield (a crop, mineral, or other natural product). Also of an animal: to yield or provide (a natural product). In early use also occasionally intransitive. ΘΚΠ the world > the earth > land > landscape > fertile land or place > land with vegetation > produce vegetation [verb (transitive)] bearOE OE Ælfric Homily (Corpus Cambr. 162) in J. C. Pope Homilies of Ælfric (1967) I. 251 Ic abad þæt min wineard bære me wæstmas, and he þa forðbrohte abroðene berian. OE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Cambr. Univ. Libr.) i. Introd. 26 Swylce hit [sc. land] is eac berende on wecga orum ares & isernes, leades & seolfres. ?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1137 War sæ me tilede, þe erthe ne bar nan corn. c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. l. 3314 (MED) Þe soil..þei maked han redy to bere greyn. a1500 (?c1440) J. Lydgate Horse, Goose & Sheep (Lansd.) l. 364 in Minor Poems (1934) ii. 554 Of Sheep al-so comyth pilet & eke fell,..The Sheep al-so turnyth to gret profite, To helpe of man berith furris blak & white. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Georgics i, in tr. Virgil Wks. 52 India, black Ebon and white Ivory bears . View more context for this quotation 1705 J. Addison Remarks Italy 1 The most uncultivated of 'em [sc. Gardens] bear abundance of sweet Plants. 1853 Civil Engineer & Architect's Jrnl. 16 371/1 Every river of Germany bears gold more or less. 1915 H. W. Vaughan Types & Market Classes Live Stock ii. 159 Fine-wool sheep bear wool that is 1½ to 4 inches long after twelve months' growth. 2013 North of Scotl. Archaeol. Soc. Newslet. July 3 Sheep grazed the green lands that once bore crops of oats, potatoes, turnips and hay. c. intransitive. Of a plant: to produce or yield flowers, fruit, etc. ΚΠ c1300 St. Brendan (Harl.) (1844) 32 Treon ther were ful of frut... The treon thicke bere. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xvii. lxxxiv. 974 Som iuniperus is moche..and som is litel... And eyþer is a row tre wiþ prikkes and many smale leues and scharpe; and eyþer bereþ. c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 8^v Bowes forto beire in the Bare winttur..she made. 1718 R. Bradley New Improvem. Planting & Gardening: Pt. 3 157 We have two Sorts of Kidney-Beans..; the one which bears early near the Root;..and another Kind, which is more rampant. 1892 Southern Cultivator Jan. 6/1 The wonder is, not that the trees do not bear, but that they live at all. 2018 Courier Mail (Brisbane) (Nexis) 16 Dec. 18 Do variegated cumquat trees bear as well as non-variegated ones? 24. a. transitive. Of a woman, other female mammal, or other viviparous animal: to give birth to (offspring); to have (a child or children). Cf. sense 1b and born adj.Also with to a specified father, or with double object (the offspring and its father). ΘΚΠ the world > animals > mammals > [verb (transitive)] > give birth bearOE the world > life > source or principle of life > birth > confinement > confine or deliver [verb (transitive)] > give birth forthbring971 akenOE haveOE bearOE to bring into the worldOE teemOE i-bereOE to bring forthc1175 childc1175 reara1275 ofkenc1275 hatcha1350 makea1382 yielda1400 cleck1401 issue1447 engenderc1450 infant1483 deliver?a1518 whelp1581 world1596 yean1598 fall1600 to give (a person or thing) birth1615 to give birth to1633 drop1662 pup1699 born1703 to throw off1742 beteem1855 birth1855 parturiate1866 shell1890 to put to bed1973 bring- the world > animals > animal body > general parts > sexual organs and reproduction > [verb (transitive)] > give birth to bearOE whelpc1175 kindle?c1225 hatcha1350 yeana1387 calvea1425 producea1513 dam1577 cast1587 rewhelp1605 render1607 store1611 drop1662 warp1738 kit1758 kitten1824 throw1824 cub1864 OE Blickling Homilies 13 Heo þone eaþmodan cyning bær. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 2029 Ȝiff. þatt ȝho þa bære child. & weddedd nohht ne wære Þa mihhte wimmann berenn child. Þurrh ful forrleȝerrnesse. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 722 Sarray non childre ne bar. ?a1425 (a1396) W. Hilton Scale of Perfection (Lamb. 472) (2000) i. xci. l. 2594 Mi dere children, whiche y bere as a woman berith a child. a1593 H. Smith Wks. (1867) II. 65 Leah having borne to Jacob four sons. 1676 T. Hobbes tr. Homer Iliads i. 397 I have born you to Short life. 1772 London Mag. Jan. 19/2 As a friend, he could not help communicating to him a secret, and that was, that she had bore him a child. 1893 Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc. 20 299 Winged Viviparous Female... In older specimens that have nearly finished bearing young, the abdomen may become almost black. 1942 Jrnl. Mammol. 23 31 Examination showed that each of these animals bore a litter of young during the time that the area was being trapped. 2018 @rileytresjolie 21 Dec. in twitter.com (accessed 25 Mar. 2019) So women are only women if they are able to bear children? b. intransitive. Of a woman or other female mammal: to give birth to offspring. Now rare (usually in historical contexts). ΘΚΠ the world > life > source or principle of life > birth > confinement > be confined [verb (intransitive)] > give birth kenc1000 childc1175 beara1382 labour1454 to cry out1623 parturiate1649 pup1708 to fall in two1788 accouche1819 to have one's bed1848 pip1973 to put to bed1973 a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Isa. liv. 1 Preise, thou bareyne, that berst not. a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) ii. i. 200 Women are made to beare, and so are you. View more context for this quotation 1810 J. Smith Syst. Mod. Geogr. I. 836 The women bear easily, and are very fruitful. 1988 B. Krahn Hidden Fires 410 I'm Constance's daughter, remember,..and enough of a peasant to bear easily. IV. To push, thrust, press, and extended uses. * To exert pressure on, and related senses. 25. a. intransitive. Of a (literal or figurative) weight or load: to press down on or upon (a person or thing); to weigh on. Cf. to bear down 3b at Phrasal verbs 1. Now rare.In quot. eOE with reference to earth pressing down upon a (malevolent) supernatural being, implying an adverse effect (cf. sense 25b). This example could alternatively be interpreted as showing the Old English prefixed verb onberan. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > suffering > state of being harassed > condition of being oppressed > oppress [verb (transitive)] beareOE charka1300 to weigh downa1340 besit1377 to bear (a person or thing) heavyc1384 oppressc1384 thringa1400 empressc1400 accloyc1425 to sit downa1450 threst1513 downtread1536 to weigh back, on one side, to the earth1595 to bear (a person or thing) hard (also heavily, heavy, etc.)1602 pressa1616 weight1647 to bear (a person or thing) heavily1702 weigh1794 freight1892 eOE Metrical Charm: For Water-Elf Disease (Royal 12 D.xvii) 14 Eorþe þe on bere eallum hire mihtum. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 181 Ðe fet up aweigeð [the belly], and heuie þar onne bereð. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xvii. 658 All the heavie lode and whole burden beareth upon one and the selfesame place. 1748 T. Smollett Roderick Random I. xxvi. 237 I..had the mortification to find myself stuck up as it were in a pillory, and the weight of three or four people bearing on each side of my neck. 1829 R. Southey All for Love vi. 63 While she pray'd the load of care Less heavily bore on her heart. 1996 Courier Mail (Queensland) (Nexis) 3 Aug. 21 The weight of responsibility bears heavily on his shoulders. b. intransitive. With on or upon, and adverbs such as hard, heavily, grievously as complement. To affect a person or thing adversely.In later use probably often interpreted as the downward pressure of a burden: see sense 25a. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > adversity > suffer (adversity or affliction) [verb (transitive)] > afflict > oppress or afflict heavyc897 narroweOE overlayOE overseamOE twingea1300 to weigh downa1340 grieve1340 besit1377 oppressc1384 foila1400 thringa1400 empressc1400 enpressc1400 aska1425 press?a1425 peisea1450 straita1464 constraina1500 overhale1531 to grate on or upon1532 wrack1562 surcharge1592 to lie heavy uponc1595 to weigh back, on one side, to the earth1595 to sit on ——1607 to sit upon ——1607 gall1614 bear1645 weight1647 obsess1648 aggrieve1670 swinge1681 lean1736 gravitate1754 weigh1794 1645 J. Corbet Hist. Relation Mil. Govt. Gloucester 81 The power of the enemy did beare hard on the Countrey. 1713 R. Steele in Guardian 12 May 2/1 I will not bear hard upon his Contrition. 1835 H. Miller Scenes & Legends N. Scotl. xx. 345 An open, boisterous winter, that bore heavy on the weak and aged. 1883 Harper's Mag. Aug. 433/1 It was on the commercial colonies that the exactions of the home government bore most severely. 2018 Sun (Nexis) 16 Dec. The EU's Common External Tariff would bear heavily on our European exports. †26. transitive. With prepositional complement, esp. with through. To stab (a person). Cf. to bear through at Phrasal verbs 1. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > injury > injure [verb (transitive)] > wound > wound with sharp weapon woundc760 stickOE snese?c1225 stokea1300 steekc1300 bearc1330 stangc1340 chop1362 broach1377 foinc1380 strikec1390 borea1400 dag?a1400 gorea1400 gridea1400 staira1400 through-girdc1405 thrustc1410 runc1425 to run throughc1425 traversec1425 spitc1430 through-seeka1500 stitch1527 falchiona1529 stab1530 to stab (a person) in1530 stob?1530 rutc1540 rove?c1550 push1551 foxa1566 stoga1572 poniard1593 dirk1599 bestab1600 poach1602 stiletto1613 stocka1640 inrun1653 stoccado1677 dagger1694 whip1699 bayonetc1700 tomahawk1711 stug1722 chiv1725 kittle1786 sabre1790 halberd1825 jab1825 skewer1837 sword1863 poke1866 spear1869 whinger1892 pig-stick1902 shiv1926 society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > cut of sharp weapon > cut or penetrate (of weapon) [verb (transitive)] > strike with pointed weapon prickOE pritchOE snese?c1225 threstc1275 stokea1300 bearc1330 stangc1340 broach1377 foinc1380 borea1400 dag?a1400 gorea1400 gridea1400 slot?a1400 staira1400 through-girdc1405 thrustc1410 runc1425 to run throughc1425 traversec1425 spitc1430 through-seeka1500 to run in1509 stab1530 to stab (a person) in1530 accloy1543 push1551 stoga1572 poacha1616 stocka1640 stoccado1677 stug1722 kittle1820 skewer1837 pitchfork1854 poke1866 chib1973 c1330 (?a1300) Sir Tristrem (1886) l. 1042 Tristrem..Bar him þurch þe dragoun In þe scheld. c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1398 Thanne praye I thee, to morwe with a spere That Arcita me thurgh the herte bere. c1450 (?a1400) Sege Melayne (1880) l. 1395 Thurgh þ^e schelde..He was borne with a brande. a1500 (?c1400) Song of Roland (1880) l. 689 He brek his sheld, and bar hym to the hert. 27. transitive. With adverb or prepositional complement. To move (a person or thing) by force of pressure; to push, force, drive (in a specified direction or to a specified place). Also figurative and in figurative contexts. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > impelling or driving > pushing and pulling > push and pull [verb (transitive)] > push thrustc1175 pilta1200 pingc1300 pote1340 pusha1350 beara1398 pokea1425 possa1425 pressc1425 shun1674 crowd1830 a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. xiii. xxi. 667 Þe see..bereþ aȝeyne þe ryuere water toward þe place þat he comeþ of. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 16252 Hu þat þis folk þe beres to þe dede. c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy (2002) f. 22 Than pollux..Bere backeward the batell. 1652 M. Nedham tr. J. Selden Of Dominion of Sea 470 They..will needs bear all the world before them. 1796 R. Southey Joan of Arc vi. 397 Borne backward Talbot turns. 1855 J. L. Motley Rise Dutch Republic I. ii. ii. 318 Bearing him off over his horse's tail. 1936 Amer. Sociol. Rev. 1 457 Among the first to be borne along by that other powerful current of biologized sociology, social Darwinism, was Hiroyuki Kato. 2010 Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 13 Nov. 1 Woods's first shot was borne by the wind into a bunker. †28. intransitive. With on, upon, at, to. To push or thrust against a person or thing; (of a ship) to push at another from the side. Cf. to bear down 1a at Phrasal verbs 1. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > impact > striking > striking in specific manner > strike in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > strike with pushing action > give a push pilta1200 beara1500 put1504 hunch1581 boke1601 nudge1809 a1500 (?c1450) Merlin viii. 127 And he bar on hym so sore that he threwe the knyght to grounde. a1500 (?c1450) Merlin vii. 118 Thei bar to hym so harde that Arthur was throwe to the erthe. a1522 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid (1959) x. x. 24 The tother..Buyr at hym mychtyly with a lang speir. 1722 D. Humphreys tr. B. de Montfaucon Antiq. Explained IV. iv. ix. 179 A Samothracian Ship bore hard upon an Athenian Vessel, and sunk her. 29. intransitive. To exert or transmit mechanical pressure against, on, or upon (a means of support); to rest one's or its weight on. Also: to exert a lateral pushing force against (a contiguous part of a structure). ΘΚΠ the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > [verb (intransitive)] > exert pressure pressa1400 bear1581 gravitate1644 1581 R. Mulcaster Positions xx. 84 In walking to strout the legges, and beare vpon the heeles, is verie good for an ill head. 1679 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. ix. 154 This Post..Bears upon the Floor. 1715 J. T. Desaguliers tr. N. Gauger Fires Improv'd 122 Which must bear against the Limbs of the Sector-Pieces. 1795 Analyt. Rev. Nov. 456 The weight of the marl, bearing on twenty-four wheels, is discharged at so many points, that the iron road is much lighter. 1854 J. Scoffern in Orr's Circle Sci., Chem. Chem. 292 Little collars of leather..bearing against the shoulders of the apparatus. 1995 U.S. Patent 5,378,075 1 The roller lies adjacent the narrow end of the passage and bears hard against the side of the passage. 30. a. intransitive. With on or †upon. To lie close to, border on a place. Also (and now chiefly) of immaterial things: to be close to in nature or character. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > relationship > similarity > be similar [verb (intransitive)] > border upon, approach, or approximate coast1382 to want little (also naught)a1500 approacha1538 bear1582 sympathize1605 to trench on or upon1622 neighboura1640 to border on or upona1694 approximate1771 verge1827 begin1833 1582 S. Batman Vppon Bartholome, De Proprietatibus Rerum xv. cvii. f. 236/1 (Addition) The whales resort vnto those northen coasts that beare vpon Wardhus, an Iland. 1635 W. Saltonstall tr. G. Mercator Historia Mundi 796 Ptolemy calls it Myrtoum, or the Myrtoan Sea, being a part of the Aegean, which beareth on Caria a Country of Asia the less. 1682 London Gaz. No. 1731/4 A..Coat of grey colour'd Cloth bearing upon the blew. 1834 F. Marryat Jacob Faithful I. xv. 259 He related an incident..which particularly bore upon the marvellous. 1898 A. T. Mahan Infl. Sea Power (ed. 10) I. 10 The great Empire of Russia,..had since then been moving forward..its centre, which bore upon the continent of Europe. 2009 Racing Post (Nexis) 5 July 109 To have any chance of winning he needs to play at least at the level he produced against Murray and that is bearing on the impossible. b. intransitive. To exert influence on or upon (something); to affect. Also: to relate or apply to (something). Cf. to bring to bear at Phrases 4a, to come to bear at Phrases 4b. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > operation upon something > exert operative influence [verb (intransitive)] imprest1652 bear1658 evirtuate1676 tell1779 to come into ——1881 the world > relative properties > relationship > relate or connect [verb (intransitive)] > be or become concerned or involved to have to do with (also mid, of, on)a1225 interlacec1380 to do with ——a1400 bedrive1481 concern1614 bear1658 connect1709 the mind > emotion > pride > overweening or presumption > render overweening [verb (transitive)] > presume on bear1658 1658 R. Steed & A. Cheare Plain Discov. 2 That what may be found in him to bear upon the mayn cause, may be dealt withal. 1795 W. Paley View Evidences Christianity (ed. 3) II. ii. vii. 197 To point out how the argument bears upon the general question. 1869 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest (1876) III. xii. 197 How this marriage bears on the history of Maine. 1883 Ld. Carlingford in Echo 1 Sept. 4/2 A..collection of artistic objects bearing on industry. 1957 G. Macgregor Experiences Amer. Scholars in Countries Near East & S. Asia 1 It was hoped that the ensuing reports would provide additional understanding of some of the economic, social, political, and educational factors bearing upon the operation of the exchange program. 2013 Financial Law Reporter (Nexis) 10 Jan. The evidence does not bear directly on the issues in the case. To move or extend in a specified direction. 31.** With adverb or prepositional phrase as complement. a. intransitive. To go, move, proceed in a specified direction or to a specified place, (in earlier use) often with effort or against resistance; to push or press on. Now chiefly: to change one's course (gradually) in a specified direction. ΘΚΠ society > travel > aspects of travel > travel in specific course or direction > direct one's course [verb (intransitive)] thinkeOE bowa1000 seta1000 scritheOE minlOE turnc1175 to wend one's wayc1225 ettlec1275 hieldc1275 standc1300 to take (the) gatec1330 bear?c1335 applyc1384 aim?a1400 bend1399 hita1400 straighta1400 bounc1400 intendc1425 purposec1425 appliquec1440 stevenc1440 shape1480 make1488 steera1500 course1555 to make out1558 to make in1575 to make for ——a1593 to make forth1594 plyc1595 trend1618 tour1768 to lie up1779 head1817 loop1898 society > travel > [verb (intransitive)] > forcibly shovec888 thrustc1330 crowda1415 throngc1440 thrumble?a1513 to shoulder one's way1581 to make one's way1589 bear1594 push1602 jostle1622 force1653 way1694 squeeze1704 to push one's way1716 thrutchc1837 barge1888 ?c1335 in W. Heuser Kildare-Gedichte (1904) 129 Man, þou hast þe forlor And ful neiþ [perhaps read neiȝ] to helle ibor. 1594 W. Shakespeare Lucrece sig. K2^v Here one being throng'd, bears back. View more context for this quotation 1674 N. Fairfax Treat. Bulk & Selvedge 122 The spring asking some minutes time to gather strength enough..to give a start or least stirring, and some minute or minutes more to bear on towards a second hitch. 1743 R. Blair Grave 39 The..Bird..Claps his..Wings, and bears away. 1842 H. E. Manning Serm. xviii. 272 The stream of this visible world, which bears down in a heavy tide away from God. 1874 J. Forrest Jrnl. 22 July in Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. (1875) 45 ix. 273 I bore east and E.S.E. for over 30 miles, but could not find a drop of water all day. 1909 T. Hardy Time's Laughingstocks & Other Verses 4 I bore towards the Ridge, With a dim unowned emotion. 2001 Times (Nexis) 29 Dec. Bear left off the track over the hillside. b. intransitive. Nautical. To sail in a specified direction. Cf. to bear away 3 at Phrasal verbs 1, to bear down 3a at Phrasal verbs 1, to bear in 1 at Phrasal verbs 1, to bear off 3 at Phrasal verbs 1. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction steer1340 stem1487 capea1522 lie1574 put1578 bear1587 rut1588 haul1589 fetch1590 standa1594 to stand along1600 to bear away1614 work1621 to lay up1832 1587 J. White in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) iii. 765 We waied anker at Muskitoes Baye..bearing along the coast of S. Iohns, till evening. 1650 Severall Proc. Parl. No. 49. 728 We bore with them, as far as with safety we durst, the Admirall having but ten fathome water, to the Southward of the S. Kitchup. 1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 428. ⁋1 People tost in a troubled Sea, without knowing to what Shore they bear. 1812 J. Wilson Isle of Palms i. 397 Onwards with the favouring gale..Th' impatient Vessel bore. 1854 H. Miller My Schools & Schoolmasters (1858) 12 They bore out to sea. 2014 Sunday Mercury (Nexis) 13 Apr. 22 The Graf Spee..bearing towards them turned its main armament of six 11in (28cm) guns on HMS Exeter. 32. intransitive. With adverb or prepositional phrase as complement. Of a road, coastline, mountain range, etc.: to extend or stretch away in a specified direction; (also) to bend left or right. Cf. to bear outward(s) at Phrasal verbs 1. ΘΚΠ the world > space > extension in space > extend in space [verb (intransitive)] > extend in a certain direction liec1000 shootc1000 drawc1180 stretcha1387 streek1388 bear1556 trend1598 tend1604 take1610 to make out1743 to put out1755 trench1768 make1787 1556 R. Record Castle of Knowl. iv. 146 Nother yet in the other two examples any of bothe places was directly southe from vs, for the Forelonde of Affrike beareth towarde the easte, and the Streight of Magellanus bendeth towarde the weste. 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. 73 From whence proceedeth and beareth forth the necke or cape of Peloponnesus. 1681 Philos. Coll. (Royal Soc.) No. 2. 5 Being down about two Fathom I found the Rocks to bear away from me, so that I could touch nothing to guide myself by. 1761 tr. G. B. Du Bocage Petit Neptune François (ed. 2) iv. 57 From Hodierne to the Rocks of Penmark the coast bears South East. 1883 Harper's Mag. Nov. 822/1 The Battenkill bears southward for twenty miles. 1968 T. McGuane Sporting Club 1996 72 The path skirted the lower end, bearing toward the river, and forked. 2019 Bath Chron. (Nexis) 25 July 13 The road bears sharply right in front of the church. †33. intransitive. Originally and chiefly Nautical. To be situated in a specified direction from a particular point or place. Cf. bearing n.¹ 14a(a). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > direction > point or lie in a direction [verb (intransitive)] > from a given point bear?1574 ?1574 W. Bourne Regiment for Sea xiv. 41 The .2. places assigned beare Easte and West the one from the other. a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) v. i. 8 This is Lucentios house, My Fathers beares more toward the Market-place. View more context for this quotation 1684 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 14 438 Then shewed him how Constantinople beared from Candia. a1774 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued (1777) III. iii. 213 You must bring such a hill to bear directly over such a point of the shore. 1835 J. Ross Narr. Second Voy. North-west Passage vi. 88 Possession Bay bore due west. 34. intransitive. Of a piece of artillery: to be placed or situated so as to cover a target; to be in position for discharging shot effectively (on or upon a target). Also of a firearm: to be aimed at a target. Now rare (and apparently only in historical contexts), except in to bring to bear at Phrases 4a, to come to bear at Phrases 4b.Recorded earliest in to bring to bear at Phrases 4a. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > action of propelling missile > discharge of firearms > management of artillery > operate artillery [verb (intransitive)] > lie in effective position bear1619 1619 G. Muschampe Let. 9 Mar. in S. Purchas Pilgrimes (1625) I. 678 We had neither wind nor tyde to thwart the ship to bring our Ordnance to beare. a1804 Ld. Nelson in Dispatches & Lett. (1845) II. 14 Our after-guns ceased to bear. 1865 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia V. xix. vii. 572 Finck had no artillery to bear on Daun's transit through the Pass. 2006 H. Turtledove Fort Pillow (e-book ed.) Colonel Barteau ought to have the same order, in case the gunboat shifts so her guns bear on his men. †35. transitive. To position (something) in a specified manner. Obsolete. N.E.D. (1887) defined this sense as ‘(casual). To direct a shot or missile.’ ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > action of propelling missile > assail with missiles [verb (transitive)] > aim or direct (missile) aimc1565 bear1740 1740 G. Smith tr. Laboratory (ed. 2) App. p. lii You must bear the first fir'd rocket's neck up above the rest, underlaying it with a tin plate, or anything else. Phrases P1. a. Phrases relating to branch I.to bear the bell, to bear coals, to bear one's cross, to bear a faggot, to bear the flower, to bear the gree, to bear low sail, to bear the palm, to bear a part, to bear the stroke, etc.: see the nouns. b. to bear the crown and variants. (a) To reign as monarch; to rule.In quot. lOE with Old English cynehelm crown. ΚΠ lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) anno 1086 He læfde æfter him þreo sunan.., se oðer het Willelm þe bær æfter him on Engleland þone kinehelm.] c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 10657 It was..in þe verþe ȝer þat he verst croune ber. c1400 (?a1300) Kyng Alisaunder (Laud) (1952) l. 770 He shall of Corinthe toun After þee bere [a1425 Linc. Inn beore] coroun. 1583 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments (ed. 4) II. 1082/2 There hath not many suche Queenes before her borne the Crowne of England. 1641 Earl of Monmouth tr. G. F. Biondi Hist. Civil Warres Eng. I. v. 160 The people borne by their love to a Prince who bore the Crowne, not by his owne usurpation, but by two successive discents from Father and Grandfather. 1855 Daily Post (Liverpool) 21 Nov. 3/2 The treaty having been concluded by..a race of Europeans which has borne the crown upon its head for centuries. 1901 Times 21 Jan. 5/3 Queen Victoria..the universally-respected head of the family who for more than 63 years has borne the crown of the greatest Empire of the world. 2003 G. Heng Empire of Magic iii. 175 Gawain was worthy to be England's king, though Arthur bore the crown. (b) To take first place in a (real or notional) contest; to be the winner; to be the best. ΚΠ a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Cock & Fox l. 464 in Poems (1981) 22 Off craftie crawing he micht beir the croun. 1715 A. Pennecuik Geogr., Hist. Descr. Tweeddale 24 Gilminscleugh for Strength, may bear the Crown, Who wrestled with a Horse, and threw him down. 1871 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 22 July In the life race..each in himself may touch the goal in time, and so bear the crown. 1984 Washington Post 26 July (District Weekly) dc 1/1 When we met, I noticed the strain of bearing the crown... I have to wonder: Who cares for Miss America when she is feeling down? 2006 PR Newswire US (Nexis) 5 July Who bears the crown in hip-hop soul? According to consumers, three artists rise above the rest—Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G. †c. (a) to bear one's heart: to have one's desire set in a particular direction; to be inclined to something or to do something. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > existence > state or condition > tendency > tend or incline [verb (intransitive)] > to do something to bear one's heartc1175 to take the wayc1330 to be (later also to have it) in purpose1340 bend1567 c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 5590 Himm reoweþþ þatt he nohht ne maȝȝ. Swillc haliȝ bisne shæwenn. Alls himm hiss herrte bereþþ to. c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 224 The King also..bar his hurte mest to do ther Seint Thomas. (b) to bear one's (also the, a) face (also head): to be facing a particular direction; (also figurative) to lean, incline toward. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > direction > point or lie in a direction [verb (intransitive)] > turn round or to face a direction turnc1330 convertc1384 to bear one's (also the, a) face (also head)c1400 beturn1594 swerve1607 face1623 orientate1848 to front about1886 orient1896 c1400 (?c1380) Pearl l. 67 Towarde a foreste I bere þe face. 1587 A. Golding tr. Solinus Worthie Work l. sig. Aa.ii^v Hee [sc. Mount Taurus] beareth hys heade towarde Greece also, where hee is called Ceraunius. 1660 G. Hammon Truth & Innocency 49 I am ready to believe, that the Church of Rome have also abused our Greek Copies in many particulars, to bear a face toward their opinion; as that text in Mat. 10.28. and the stop, Luke 23.43. d. to bear (a person) company (also fellowship, etc.): to keep (a person) company. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a companion or associate > accompany or associate with [verb (transitive)] seeOE to bear (a person) company (also fellowship, etc.)c1225 mella1300 fellowshipa1382 companya1400 accompany1461 to keep company (with)1502 encompanya1513 to keep (a person) company1517 to take repast1517 assist1553 to take up with1570 rempare1581 to go along with1588 amate1590 bear1590 to fall in1593 consort1598 second1600 to walk (also travel) in the way with1611 comitate1632 associate1644 enhaunt1658 join1713 assort1823 sit1828 companionize1870 to take tea with1888 to knock about with1915 tote1977 fere- c1225 (?c1200) St. Margaret (Bodl.) (1934) 50 Wið bliðe heorte beoreð me genge for te herien þe king. c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 990 If eni so wod were, That Seint Thomas consaillede and cumpaignye bere..me scholde him nyme anon. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Gött.) l. 12568 And quen he suld to metschip ga..Alle þai felauschip him bare. a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iv. iii. 34 I doe desire thee..To beare me company, and goe with me. View more context for this quotation 1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. vii. vii. 52 You have promised to bear me Company . View more context for this quotation 1858 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia II. vii. v. 215 This pleasant streamlet..has borne us company for some time. 1923 D. A. Mackenzie China & Japan (1994) xvi. 302 Apparently it was not only the poor Indians..who thought their dogs..would be admitted to the ‘equal sky’, there to bear them company. e. †(a) to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) hand [Probably after Middle French maintenir and post-classical Latin manutenere maintain v. Compare Old Icelandic bera á hǫnd (also bera á hendr) to reproach, to accuse.] (i) With clause, esp. that-clause, as complement. To assert, maintain to (a person) (that he or she has done something, or is something); to charge, accuse (a person) (of something). Also: to assert, maintain (that something is true). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > testing > accusation, charge > make accusation [phrase] to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handc1300 to lay the blame on1393 to give the wrong to?1473 to lay in (his) neckc1515 to cast (any one) in the teeth1526 to cast (a thing) in one's teeth1526 to lay to (also cast in) a person's nose1526 to dash one in the teeth with (something)1530 call to or in coram1542 to cast (also lay, throw) (something) in one's dish1551 to throw (cast) a stone or stones (at)1568 to cast up1604 to nail to the barn door1894 the mind > language > statement > maintaining or upholding as true > maintain or uphold as true [verb (intransitive)] to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handc1300 contend1548 happen1705 the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > act of convincing, conviction > convince someone [phrase] to put in weeningc1275 to bear in handc1300 to threap (something) uponc1440 to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handa1716 the mind > language > statement > assertion without proof > [verb (transitive)] > claim, maintain, or profess to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handc1300 pretend1402 presumea1470 profess1530 vendicate1557 pretence1567 intend1570 to show for ——1573 affect1606 to make out1659 purport1679 proport1884 society > authority > control > [verb (transitive)] > manage or administer steerc888 leadc1175 guyc1330 guidec1374 governa1382 ministera1382 treat1387 administer1395 dispose1398 skift?a1400 warda1400 solicit1429 to deal with1469 handlea1470 execute1483 convoy?a1513 conveyc1515 mayne1520 to bear (a person or thing) in (also an, a, on) handa1522 keepa1535 administrate1538 solicitate1547 to dispose of1573 manure1583 carry1600 manage1609 negotiate1619 conduct1632 to carry on1638 mesnage1654 nurse1745 work1841 operate1850 run1857 stage-manage1906 ramrod1920 c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 909 We wolleth the bere anhond that thu ert his traitour. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Man of Law's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 522 So stant this Innocent bifore the kyng This false knyght..Bereth hir on hond þ^t she hath doon this thyng. 1439 Early Chancery Proc. (P.R.O.: C 1/9/124b) And than come oon Richard Sharp of Couentre marchaunte in to the same Inne at Oxonford and bar anhond þat the sayde clothes wer the goodys of oon John Haddessors of Couentre. 1528 T. More Dialogue Heresyes i. in Wks. 109/1 To dowte whither Luther himselfe..wrote in dede so euyll as he is borne in hande. a1529 J. Skelton Magnyfycence (?1530) sig. Bi^v They bare me in hande that I was a spye. (ii) To profess, claim (to do something, esp. with intent to deceive); to delude (a person); to lead (a person) to believe that something is true. Cf. beanhond v. Obsolete. ΚΠ c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Wife of Bath's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) Prol. l. 232 A wys wyf..Shal bere hym an hond the Cow is wood. a1475 (?a1430) J. Lydgate tr. G. Deguileville Pilgrimage Life Man (Vitell.) l. 14316 (MED) Thys wynd..Bereth me An hand that I am ffayr. 1559 Certayne Serm. (new ed.) sig. R.ii^v Let vs diligently foresee, that oure faith and hope, whiche we haue conceiued in almightie god, and in our sauiour Christ, waxe not fainte, nor that the loue whiche we beare in hande [1547 pretende] to beare to him, waxe not colde. a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) v. vi. 43 Your daughter, whom she bore in hand to loue With such integrity, she did confesse Was as a Scorpion to her sight. View more context for this quotation 1625 J. Ussher Answer to Jesuite 4 Not so easie to be discerned, as fooles bee borne in hand they are. a1716 R. South 12 Serm. (1717) VI. 25 If Popery and Fanaticism are so irreconcilable, as our True Protestants would bear us in hand that they are. 1771 I. Backus Lett. to Gentleman in Mass. Gen. Assembly 10 Some would bear us in hand, that we have anually as much Liberty as the other Denomination. (iii) To carry on, manage. Obsolete. rare. ΚΠ a1522 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid (1959) vi. xv. l. 103 The batalis and the wer Quhilk eftir this he had to ber on hand. (b) to bear a hand: to lend a hand, give help. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > aid, help, or assist [verb (intransitive)] help?c1225 to shove at the cart1421 supply1446 assist?1518 to lend a hand (or a helping hand)1598 to hold handc1600 to put to one's hand (also hands)1603 seconda1609 subminister1611 to give (lend) a lift1622 to lay (a) hand1634 to give a hand1682 to bear a hand1710 to chip in1872 1710 C. Shadwell Fair Quaker of Deal i. 15 Sail. Come prithee go, for an the Commadore gets into his Tantrum Humours, there's no coming within a Cables length of him. Cox. Ay, that's true, therefore bear a hand. 1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine Bear-a-hand! a phrase of the same import with make haste..quick. 1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iii. vi. 47 Get him to bear a hand. 1961 Lowell (Mass.) Sun 9 Dec. 4/2 The thing that most impresses me..is his willingness to bear a hand with what might be called ‘extra-curricular activities’. f. to bear arms against: to fight against, be engaged in hostilities with. Cf. to bear arms at arms n. Phrases 1a(a). [Compare classical Latin arma ferre contra.] ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > [verb (transitive)] to bear arms againstc1325 c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 11788 Alle þat armes bere Aȝen þe king in þe worre..Were alle deserited. 1562 R. Fills tr. Lawes & Statutes Geneua f. 26^v Item to be continually readie and prest to beare armes against the enemies. 1646 Articles concerning Surrender of Oxf. 11 No other Engagement shall be put upon them, save by promise, not to beare Armes against the Parliament. 1769 W. Robertson Hist. Charles V III. xi. 316 An ample..pardon to all who had born arms against him. 1904 Evening Rec. (Traverse City, Mich.) 26 May (headline) Bore arms against his country to save his life. 2018 Leadership (Abuja) (Nexis) 26 Oct. The operation is focused on identifying and destroying armed bandits and other persons bearing arms against the Nigerian State. g. to bear a resemblance (also similarity, likeness, etc.) to (formerly also †of) (and variants): to be like, to resemble. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > relationship > similarity > render similar to [verb (transitive)] > be like, resemble, or take after to bear a resemblance toa1225 semblec1330 resemble1340 to look likec1390 representa1398 belikec1475 assemble1483 express1483 to take after ——1553 figure1567 assimilate1578 besib1596 imitate1601 resemblance1603 respect1604 favour1609 image1726 mirror1820 facsimile1839 turn after ——1848 picture1850 a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 39 Ðanne behoueð ðe..þat tu luuiȝe..aurich mann ðe berð ðin anlicnesse. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) Prol. l. 908 (MED) That ilke ymage bar liknesse Of man. 1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. iv. f. 79 The life of the godly ought in dede to be tempered with honest sparying and sobrietie, that..it may..beare a certaine resemblance of fasting. 1671 S. Patrick Christian Sacrifice 478 Thou hast made man..capable to look back to thee, the Author of his being, and to be happy in loving thee, and bearing a likeness to thee. 1784 Monthly Rev. May 350 The article which follows bears a little similarity to the former, but will be more generally amusing. 1953 C. Ryan Conquest of Moon i. 3 The ships the explorers will use for the long journey through space will bear little resemblance to those depicted by the science-fictionists. 2017 Belfast Tel. (Nexis) 19 Aug. (Weekend section) 23 Ask a child to draw a picture of a flower and the result will inevitably bear a resemblance to a daisy. †h. to bear life: to be alive, live; in early use often in all that bear life, everything that bears life, and variants: all living things. Obsolete. Quot. OE shows use with the Old English (poetic) compound feorh-līf life. ΚΠ OE Paris Psalter (1932) cxlii. 2 On þinre gesihðe ne bið soðfæst ænig þe on ðisse foldan feorhlif bereð [L. omnis uiuens]. a1400 (?a1350) Seege Troye (Egerton) (1927) l. 613 (MED) Þat fairest lady þat bereþ [a1425 Linc. Inn beoriþ] lyf, þou shalt wynne. c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) i. l. 2599 (MED) Ȝe, of alle þat bere life, In bewte han a prerogatyfe. 1550 W. Hunnis Certayne Psalmes cxiii O All ye seruauntes, prayse the lorde..And euerye thynge that beareth lyfe Lykewyse do ye the same. ?a1656 J. Poole Eng. Parnassus (1657) 583 No creature bears life, Which more faithfullie studies to do you service. 1751 T. Troughton Barbarian Cruelty 29 He thought them a Set of disaffected Villains, that were not worthy to bear Life any longer. 1890 A. F. Bandelier Delight Makers xv. 336 Nothing moved; nothing suspicious was seen, nay, nothing that bore life, except the sombre vegetation. i. to bear (a person or thing) in mind (also †heart): to keep (a person or thing) in one's thoughts; to be mindful of; to remember and take into consideration (a fact or circumstance).In Old English and early Middle English with on and the plural of heart.In later use chiefly with that-clause as object. ΚΠ OE Blickling Homilies 79 Þa þe beoð Gode underþeodde on godum willan, & þæs wyrþe beoþ þæt hie heofoncining on heora heortum beran. a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 47 Hie bar hire holie cunebern on heorte gostliche and on honde lichamliche. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 14367 (MED) Þir signes..Yee aght, lauerdings, in hert to bere. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Man of Law's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1029 In the olde Romayn gestes may men fynde Maurices lyf, I bere it noght in mynde. 1539 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Prouerbes sig. D.vi^v Worthy..continuallye to be borne in mynde. 1734 D. Waterland Importance Doctr. Holy Trinity (ed. 2) 513 It may be proper to bear in mind that Three-fold Method of commenting which St. Jerome lays down; namely, the Historical, Tropological, and Theorical. 1845 J. R. McCulloch Treat. Taxation ii. v. 208 It should..be borne in mind..that rents..are higher now than at any former period. 1938 Amer. Home Jan. 57/2 This does not mean that a table set must be gathered in only one pattern or even a single color; but it does mean that its ultimate character must be constantly borne in mind. 2000 Times 17 Nov. ii. 26/4 People should bear in mind that the cheapest fare may not be the best option. j. to bear the breeches (also breech): to be the dominant partner in a relationship; = to wear the breeches at breech n. 2a. rare. ΘΚΠ society > authority > rule or government > rule or government of family or tribe > be dominant member of household [verb (intransitive)] to bear the breechesc1525 to wear the trousers1841 c1525 Bk. Mayd Emlyn sig. A.iii^v All women be suche Thoughe the man bere the breche They wyll be euer checkemate. 1762 S. Foote tr. P. N. Destouches Young Hypocrite ii. iii, in S. Foote et al. Comic Theatre I. 38 He is called baron, but you bear the breeches. 1961 Dutch-Austral. Weekly 20 Oct. 10/4 ‘De vrouw is de baas’—‘The wife bears the breeches’. †k. to bear (a person) a blow: to strike a blow against (a person). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > impact > striking > strike [verb (transitive)] > specific animate object drepeOE smitec1200 buffet?c1225 strike1377 rapa1400 seta1400 frontc1400 ballc1450 throw1488 to bear (a person) a blow1530 fetch1556 douse1559 knetcha1564 slat1577 to hit any one a blow1597 wherret1599 alapate1609 shock1614 baske1642 measure1652 plump1785 jow1802 nobble1841 scuff1841 clump1864 bust1873 plonk1874 to sock it to1877 dot1881 biff1888 dong1889 slosh1890 to soak it to1892 to cop (a person) one1898 poke1906 to hang one on1908 bop1931 clonk1949 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 679/2 I ratche, I catche, I have raught. Je attayns. And I ratche the thou shalt bere me a blowe. a1645 W. Browne tr. M. Le Roy Hist. Polexander (1647) i. v. 116 Bajazet..bore him a blow that, in all likelyhood, should have bereft his life. †l. to bear it: to be successful or victorious; to gain an advantage. Cf. carry v.. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > succeed or be a success [verb (intransitive)] > win win1297 obtain1441 to go away with it1489 triumph1508 to carry (also get, lose, win, etc.) the day1557 to bear it1602 carry1602 to carry away the bucklers1608 to carry one's point1654 to carry it off1828 to ring the bell1900 1602 A. Copley Another Let. to Dis-iesuited Kinseman 35 He must not thinke to beare it hence forward amongst Catholikes in England with his bare Ipse dixit as heretofore. a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) i. iii. 24 So may he with more facile question beare it . View more context for this quotation a1625 J. Fletcher Mad Lover ii. i, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. B4/1 'Tis worth doing..but what doing beares it? P2. Phrases relating to branch II. a. to bear (a person or thing) hard (also heavily, heavy, etc.) [compare classical Latin aegrē ferre] : to endure or tolerate (something or someone) grudgingly or with difficulty; to take (something) badly; to resent (a person or thing). Now rare (archaic in later use).See also to bear (one) upon (also in) the spleen at spleen n. 8b.In quot. c1384 with of introducing the thing suffered. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > anger > indignation or resentment > be indignant at or resent [verb (transitive)] to take in (also on, to) griefc1325 to bear (a person or thing) hard (also heavily, heavy, etc.)c1384 to take agrief?a1400 disdaina1513 stomach1523 to take it amiss1530 to have a grudge against (to, at)1531 to think amiss1533 envy1557 to take‥in (the) snuff (or to snuff)1560 to take snuff1565 to take scorn1581 to take indignly1593 to bear (one) upon (also in) the spleen1596 spleena1629 disresent1652 indign1652 miff1797 pin1934 the mind > emotion > suffering > state of being harassed > condition of being oppressed > oppress [verb (transitive)] beareOE charka1300 to weigh downa1340 besit1377 to bear (a person or thing) heavyc1384 oppressc1384 thringa1400 empressc1400 accloyc1425 to sit downa1450 threst1513 downtread1536 to weigh back, on one side, to the earth1595 to bear (a person or thing) hard (also heavily, heavy, etc.)1602 pressa1616 weight1647 to bear (a person or thing) heavily1702 weigh1794 freight1892 c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) 2 Macc. iv. 35 For whiche cause not oonly Jewis, bot and other naciouns, weren wrothe, and baren heuyly [L. moleste ferebant] of the vniust deth of so grete a man. c1405 (c1395) G. Chaucer Clerk's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 625 My peple sikly berth this mariage. c1475 (a1400) J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 296 Many beren heuy þat freris ben clepid pseudo or ypocritis. 1602 W. S. True Chron. Hist. Ld. Cromwell sig. E2 You beare me hard, about the Abbie landes. 1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. i. 32 The Ill Success was heavily born, and imputed to Ill Conduct. 1874 A. C. Swinburne Bothwell (1882) ii. i. 97 It may be you do well to bear me hard. 1933 R. E. Mantz & J. M. Murry Life of Katherine Mansfield iv. 107 She bore it hard that her sisters seemed preferred before her. b. to bear date: (of a document) to be dated (as specified). Cf. sense 21a. Now rare (chiefly in legal contexts). ΘΚΠ the world > time > reckoning of time > chronology > reckon the time or date [verb (intransitive)] > be dated to bear date1440 datea1850 1440 in L. Morsbach Mittelengl. Originalurkunden (1923) 23 (MED) It apperes be ane obligacion..beryng date xx day of Decembre, the ȝhere of kyng Henry ye VIte efter ye conquest ye xviiie. 1504 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VII (Electronic ed.) Parl. Jan. 1504 §39. m. 27 All lettres patentez, beryng date at Westm', the .xxi. day of August, the .iiij.^th yere of your moste noble reign. 1602 J. Colleton Iust Def. Slandered Priestes sig. M2^v The Constitutiue Letter which M. Blackwell first shewed vnto vs, bore date the 7. of March, 1598. 1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 320. ⁋4 A long Letter bearing Date the fourth Instant. 1837 T. B. Macaulay Ld. Bacon in Edinb. Rev. July 17 12 A public letter which bears date just a month after the admission of Francis Bacon. 1875 Encycl. Brit. II. 593/2 Bearing date the 16th April 1871. 1992 Estates & Trusts Jrnl. 11 280 An application has been made to this Court for probate of a copy of an alleged will of the above named Jane King, bearing date the 30th day of September, 1980. c. to bear the person of: to assume the character of (another person); to act the part of; (chiefly) spec. to represent, stand in for (a person), esp. formally or legally; to embody.Now chiefly with reference to Hobbes; cf. quot. 1651. ΘΚΠ society > authority > delegated authority > action or function of a delegate or deputy > act as deputy for [verb (transitive)] spelec960 representc1390 to bear the person of?1533 reprehend1598 act1651 personate1651 rep1951 society > communication > representation > role-playing > play the part of [verb (transitive)] to bear the person of?1533 act1599 personate1604 comediate1624 tip1712 impersonate1715 come1721 role-play1951 ?1533 tr. Erasmus Serm. f. 14 She harde all thynges..alwyes bearyng the person of an hande mayde whiche she hath professed her selfe to be. 1605 R. Verstegan Restit. Decayed Intelligence x. 320 A vice-roy, that is, hee that in the Kings absence supplyeth his place and beareth his person. 1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan i. xvi. 80 He that acteth another, is said to beare his Person. a1742 S. Weston Serm. Var. Subj. (1747) II. ii. 33 None could bear the Person of the new Law-giver and High-preiest but the Messiah. 1870 H. J. Pye Why do we Believe? vi. 31 In almost every place we find that Peter alone is counted worthy to bear the person of the Church. 1902 J. W. Salmond Jurisprudence xxii. 541 This representative bears the person of the deceased. 2005 European Jrnl. Philos. 13 162 If it makes sense to say that, when I speak or act for you, I am sustaining or bearing your person, then it arguably makes equally good sense to say that I am offering an image or repraesentatio of how you might have comported yourself. d. not to bear thinking about (also on, of, upon): to be too terrible to contemplate. ΚΠ 1783 H. Cowley Bold Stroke for Husband iii. ii. 30 She can't have so much villainy in her disposition... Pho, it won't bear thinking about. 1889 H. Johnson All for Number One xiii. 165 A pauper's grave..Charlie..! No stone, no name, no nothin'! It won't bear thinking on. 1978 ‘M. M. Kaye’ Far Pavilions xv. 248 The clock on the table by his bed struck three... If she were missed, and found here, the consequences for them both did not bear thinking of. 2018 Daily Mirror (Nexis) 31 Oct. 8 We continue to heat up this beautiful world at our peril. We must all embrace greener lifestyles... The alternative doesn't bear thinking about. P3. Phrases relating to branch III. to bear fruit: to yield positive results. Cf. sense 23a. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > be advantageous or beneficial [verb (intransitive)] > result in (adequate) advantage to turn to accounta1632 pay1774 to bear fruit1889 to pay out1909 to pay off1946 1889 Harper's Mag. Aug. 360/2 The need for orthochromatic photography was felt, and researches were made which have now borne fruit, though the new plates are still far from perfect. 1986 K. Ishiguro Artist of Floating World 184 The changes we made after the war are now beginning to bear fruit at all levels of the company. 2016 Times (Nexis) 18 June (Business section) Question marks remain over if and when the government's aggressive policies to get businesses investing and consumers spending will bear fruit. P4. Phrases relating to branch IV. a. to bring to bear. (a) To bring (something) into effective operation (against, on, or upon something else); to cause to act; to employ, exert. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > causation > [verb (transitive)] wieldeOE timberc897 letc900 rearOE doOE i-wendeOE workOE makeOE bringc1175 raisec1175 shapec1315 to owe (also have) a wold (also on wield)a1325 procurec1330 purchasec1330 causec1340 conform1377 performa1382 excite1398 induce1413 occasionate?c1450 occasionc1454 to bring about1480 gara1500 to bring to passc1513 encause1527 to work out1534 inferc1540 excitate?1549 import1550 ycause1563 frame1576 effect1581 to bring in1584 effectuatea1586 apport?1591 introduce1605 create1607 generate1607 cast1633 efficiate1639 conciliate1646 impetrate1647 state1654 accompass1668 to bring to bear1668 to bring on1671 effectivate1717 makee1719 superinduce1837 birth1913 1668 A. Cheare Words in Season 33 He brings his torments to bear upon the limbs and members of the Body. 1744 Considerations Politics France 44 My sole Intention is to prove that France acts systematically, and that our Destruction, if it be not the End, will at least prove one of the Consequences of her bringing her System to bear. 1871 J. Tyndall Fragm. Sci. I. vii. 245 No human instrument has been brought to bear upon these stones. 1921 Forum Feb. 242 All diplomatic power of the Old World's ambassadorial representation will be brought to bear against high tariffs. 2006 New Yorker 6 Nov. 13/1 The recent development of neo-Old Masterish painting..brings subtle skills to bear on vulgar subjects. (b) To bring about, bring into existence. Now rare. ΚΠ 1684 J. Holloway Free & Voluntary Confession 6/1 Seeing the other business had gone so far.., if they could bring it to bear in London.., I rashly said,..we will undertake it. 1775 S. Johnson Let. 13 July (1992) II. 246 I am still of opinion, that we shall bring the Oxford riding School to bear. 1844 Farmer's Mag. Apr. 441/1 How can we carry this out further? It is by practical conversation..; and how can we bring this to bear better than by friendly associations like this? 2018 Real Estate Monitor Worldwide (Nexis) 18 Jan. Newman..carried out the necessary remediation and entitlements to bring the project to bear. (c) To place or situate (a piece of artillery) in a position to cover a target; to aim (a weapon, esp. a firearm). Also with on, upon a target. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > action of propelling missile > discharge missile [verb (intransitive)] > aim to take aima1450 aim1566 to bring to bear1619 1619Bring to beare [see sense 34]. 1761 L. Sterne Life Tristram Shandy III. xxii. 112 When corporal Trim had brought his two mortars to bear, he was delighted with his handy-work above measure. 1866 C. Kingsley Hereward the Wake II. ii. 29 Before a bow could be brought to bear. 1914 Infantry Training (War Office) xv. 200 The power of turning rapidly in any desired direction, or of ‘all-round traverse’, enables the gun to be brought to bear upon a fresh target without moving the tripod. 2017 G. Tallent My Absolute Darling xx. 275 Turtle brings the gun to bear on her third shot, pulls the trigger, and nothing happens. b. to come to bear. (a) To come into effective operation (against, on, or upon something); to be employed or exerted; to come into force.Now often in figurative contexts relating to weight or pressure. ΚΠ 1688 E. Meredith Some Farther Remarks Acct. Dr. Tenison 116 They endeavor to spend the time in Preliminaries, so that they may be forced to break off before any Argument comes to bear. 1790 E. Burke Refl. Revol. in France 256 Here their arithmetic came to bear upon their juridical metaphysics. 1852 N. Brit. Rev. May 124/1 Those characteristics of Chalmers's mind, which..were..coming to bear upon the rising ministerial body in Scotland. 1909 Liberator (San Francisco) 3 July 4/1 It is right here that the work of the school in preparing adequately for citizenship comes to bear. 1945 Times 10 Jan. 4/1 Much has been achieved since the full weight of allied counter-measures came to bear against the Ardennes offensive. 2016 News (Murray State Univ.) (Nexis) 26 Sept. 1 Not-so-subtle pressure comes to bear on the innocent attendees to join the organization that sponsored the event. (b) Of a piece of artillery: to come or be brought into a position to cover a target; (of a firearm) to be aimed. Now chiefly in historical contexts. ΚΠ 1632 W. Watts Swedish Intelligencer: 2nd Pt. 146 His Ordnance could not possibly come to beare upon the bridge. 1745 P. Thomas True Jrnl. Voy. South-Seas 282 Every one firing as fast as his Gun would come to bear. 1846 A. Cleveland Grace Loveland vi. 38/1 As your gun comes to bear, slap it right into his bows. 2000 J. M. Hanna Man called Shiloh (2001) ii. i. 41 As the rifle came to bear, Dan triggered a shot at him. Phrasal verbs PV1. With adverbs in specialized senses. to bear away 1. a. transitive. To carry away (a prize, victory, etc.); to succeed in obtaining; to win. Cf. to bear off at Phrasal verbs 1. Now rare.With quot. 1847 cf. to bear the palm at palm n.¹ 2b. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > make a success of [verb (transitive)] > win (any contest or prize) > win (a prize, etc.) to bear awayc1325 getc1330 winc1330 to go away with1489 to carry away1565 carry1570 to bear off?1615 to carry off1680 to take out1976 the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > make a success of [verb (transitive)] > win (any contest or prize) win1338 vanquisha1400 to bear away?1506 obtain1530 conquer1676 gain1725 ice1908 to take out1977 c1325 (c1300) Chron. Robert of Gloucester (Calig.) l. 2596 Þe brutons at eche tyme þe maistrie awey bere. ?1506 Lytell Geste Robyn Hode (de Worde) sig. D.ii All the best archers of the north Sholde come vpon a day And that shoteth all ther best The game shall bere away. 1614 R. Carew Excellencie Eng. Tongue in W. Camden Remaines (rev. ed.) 37 The Greek and Latine haue euer borne away the prerogatiue from all other tongues. 1711 Spectator No. 548. ⁋6 Such tragedies as ended unhappily bore away the prizes. 1847 C. Brontë Let. 24 Dec. (1995) I. 584 For sterling worth Amelia no doubt bears away the palm. 1947 San Marino (Calif.) Tribune 26 June 2/2 A ‘charming’..little Philippine girl..bore away second prize. †b. transitive. To receive and remember (a lesson, fact, etc.); to take away. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > memory > retention in the mind > memorization > memorize, learn by heart [verb (transitive)] record?c1225 renderc1380 to can by rotec1405 con?a1425 to con by heartc1449 can1496 to bear away1530 get1540 commend to memory1550 commit?1551 to con over1605 rotea1616 lodge1622 to get off by heart1709 memorize1834 rehearse1902 memorate1983 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 449/1 I beare awaye as a well wytted chylde dothe his lesson, Je apprens. 1589 G. Puttenham Arte Eng. Poesie i. iv. 5 Easier to beare away and be retained in memorie. 1679 A. Behn Feign'd Curtizans Ep. Ded. sig. A2^v Men crowd to listen with that awfull reverence as to Holy Oracles or Divine Prophesies, and bears away [sic] the precious words to tell at home. 1792 V. Knox Serm. ii. 46 If we have received a good impression, let us bear it away uneffaced to our graves. 1922 Cent. Mag. Mar. 676/1 Brief though the meeting, Gridley bore away an impression of Miss Locke which began to take shape as an unaccountable memory of her. 2. transitive (in passive). To be strongly affected or influenced by something, esp. to the point of becoming irrational or losing self-control; to be carried away. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > passion > be or become affected with passion [verb (intransitive)] > be overwhelmed with strong emotion sweltc1330 to bear away1584 to fall out1930 1584 Copie of Let. conc. Erle of Leycester 171 The other being so far blinded and borne away, with the same furious fume, and most impotent itching humour of ambition: as his own mother, when shee was a liue, seemed greatlie to feare his fingers,..as her life had onlie stood in his waye. 1612 T. Shelton tr. M. de Cervantes Don-Quixote: Pt. 1 i. i. 5 Ledde thus by these soothing thoughts, and borne away with the exceeding delight he found in them, he hastened all that he might, to effect his vrging desires. 1715 J. Ozell tr. F. de S. de la Mothe-Fénelon Adventures Telemachus I. ii. 86 Thus are all Men borne away by sensual Pleasures, and the witchcraft of Imagination. 1801 M. Edgeworth Forester in Moral Tales I. 141 Born away by their prejudices. a1916 S. A. Brooke Naturalism in Eng. Poetry (1920) ix. 213 But he was sometimes borne away. He could not conceive the thought of an all-pervading Power..without becoming ravished beyond himself. 1970 Change 2 88/2 A sensitive man and rousing speaker was borne away by passion. 3. intransitive. Nautical. With for, toward, etc.: to sail away (usually before the wind) in the direction of a specified place; (without prepositional complement) to change course away from the wind (sometimes, so as to avoid a collision). ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction steer1340 stem1487 capea1522 lie1574 put1578 bear1587 rut1588 haul1589 fetch1590 standa1594 to stand along1600 to bear away1614 work1621 to lay up1832 society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction > sail away from shore or ships to stand off1591 to stand away1600 to bear away1614 to stand out to sea1625 outstand1866 off1882 1614 W. Raleigh Hist. World v. viii. 696 The Kings Nauie hoysted saile: and hauing a faire wind, bore away toward Ephesus. 1744 W. Mountaine Seaman's Vade-mecum 190 Just as the Enemy is in the Chase's Wake, she may bear away a Point from the Wind. 1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §98 The wind being now fair for that port, we bore away for it. 1865 F. Parkman Champlain i, in Pioneers of France in New World 182 The voyagers..bore away for France. 2017 Assoc. Press Internat. (Nexis) 11 June The boat almost went sideways. The Kiwis had to bear away and called for a penalty. to bear down 1. a. transitive. To push (a person or thing) to the ground; (in extended use) to overthrow; to defeat. Also figurative. Cf. downbear v. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > victory > make victorious [verb (transitive)] > conquer or overcome overcomeeOE shendc893 awinc1000 overwinOE overheaveOE to lay downa1225 mate?c1225 discomfitc1230 win1297 dauntc1300 cumber1303 scomfit1303 fenkc1320 to bear downc1330 confoundc1330 confusec1330 to do, put arrear1330 oversetc1330 vanquishc1330 conquerc1374 overthrowc1375 oppressc1380 outfighta1382 to put downa1382 discomfortc1384 threshc1384 vencuea1400 depressc1400 venque?1402 ding?a1425 cumrayc1425 to put to (also at, unto) the (also one's) worsec1425 to bring or put to (or unto) utterance1430 distrussc1430 supprisec1440 ascomfita1450 to do stress?c1450 victorya1470 to make (win) a conquest1477 convanquish1483 conquest1485 defeat1485 oversailc1485 conques1488 discomfish1488 fulyie1488 distress1489 overpress1489 cravent1490 utter?1533 to give (a person) the overthrow1536 debel1542 convince1548 foil1548 out-war1548 profligate1548 proflige?c1550 expugnate1568 expugn1570 victor1576 dismay1596 damnify1598 triumph1605 convict1607 overman1609 thrash1609 beat1611 debellate1611 import1624 to cut to (or in) pieces1632 maitrise1636 worst1636 forcea1641 outfight1650 outgeneral1767 to cut up1803 smash1813 slosh1890 ream1918 hammer1948 society > authority > subjection > subjecting or subjugation > subject [verb (transitive)] > suppress, repress, or put down nithereOE adweschOE overtreadOE quellOE to trample or tread under foot (also feet)c1175 adauntc1325 to bear downc1330 oppressc1380 repressc1391 overyoke?a1425 quencha1425 to bear overc1425 supprisec1440 overquell?c1450 farec1460 supprime1490 downbeara1500 stanch1513 undertread1525 downtread1536 suppress1537 to set one's foot on the neck of1557 depress?a1562 overbear1565 surpress1573 trample1583 repose1663 spiflicate1749 sort1815 to trample down1853 to sit on ——1915 to clamp down1924 crack down1940 tamp1959 the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > mastery or superiority > have or gain mastery or superiority over [verb (transitive)] > overcome or overwhelm overcomeeOE overgangOE overnimOE overswivec1175 foldc1275 overgoc1275 to bear downc1330 oversetc1330 outrayc1390 overleada1393 overreach?a1425 overwhelmc1425 to whelve overc1440 overruna1475 surprise1474 overpress1489 surbatea1500 overhale1531 overbear1535 overcrow1550 disable1582 surgain1586 overpower1597 overman1609 to come over ——1637 to run down1655 overpower1667 compel1697 to get over ——1784 overget1877 to grab (also take) by the balls1934 the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > downward motion > causing to come or go down > cause to come or go down [verb (transitive)] > bring to the ground/lay low > push or pull down to-hieldc1275 to bear downc1330 to shove downc1400 rivea1425 reach1483 c1330 (?a1300) Sir Tristrem (1886) l. 1038 Moraunt..Rode wiþ..raundoun..And þouȝt to bere him doun. c1410 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (BL Add.) (1879) VII. 319 [a1387 St. John's Cambr. Whanne þei] haveþ y-bore doun here enemyes þann þey [a1387 St. John's Cambr. continues bereþ doun hem self]. a1500 (?a1449) in Minor Poems J. Lydgate (1911) i. 25 Pride was bore downe with humilite. 1576 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent 291 He bare it [sc. a Door] cleane downe before him, and so both escaped. 1680 Bp. G. Burnet Some Passages Life Rochester (1692) 98 A Doctrine which was born down and persecuted. 1840 T. B. Macaulay Ranke's Hist. in Ess. (1854) 550/2 His activity and zeal bore down all opposition. 2014 K. Foley Make me Melt 201 They bore her down to the floor and wrenched her arms behind her back. †b. transitive. figurative. To beat (a person) in argument or debate; to argue strongly against (a person) that something is the case. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > testing > refutation, disproof > refute, disprove [verb (transitive)] answerOE bitavelena1225 allayc1275 confoundc1384 concludea1400 conclusea1400 forblenda1400 gainsaya1400 rejag1402 to bear downc1405 redarguea1425 repugn?a1425 reverse?c1430 improvec1443 reprovea1513 dissolve1529 revince1529 convince1530 confute1533 refel1534 refute1545 void1570 evict1583 infringe1590 reprehend1597 revert1598 evince1608 repel1613 to take off1618 unbubblea1640 invalid1643 invalidate1649 remove1652 retund1653 effronta1657 dispute1659 unreason1661 have1680 demolish1691 to blow sky-high1819 c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Miller's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 643 Whan he spak, he was anon bore doun With hende Nicholas and Alisoun. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) Acts xii. 15 She bare them doune that hit was even so. 1641 J. Milton Of Prelatical Episc. 23 Though hee himselfe..should beare us downe that there bee three. 1674 N. Fairfax Treat. Bulk & Selvedge 87 [He] roundly bears us down, That two such worlds would touch without more ado. a1790 B. Franklin Autobiogr. (2003) 61 He was naturally more eloquent,..and sometimes as I thought bore me down more by his Fluency than by the Strength of his Reasons. 2. a. transitive. To cause (something) to move or fall in a downward direction by means of weight or pressure; to press or weigh down. Also (and now chiefly) figurative: to weigh (a person or organization) down with adversity, responsibility, etc.; to overburden; to oppress. Frequently in passive. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > [verb (transitive)] > exert pressure on i-thrastc900 crowdOE pressc1330 to bear down1440 impress1598 lean1736 the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > downward motion > causing to come or go down > cause to come or go down [verb (transitive)] > press or force down downbeara1382 pressc1425 to bear down1440 depress1526 suppress1542 detrude1548 sway1857 to force down1917 Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 31 Bere downe, or presse downe, comprimo, deprimo. Beere downe vndyr þe fote, subpedito. Bere downe, or caste downe to grownde, sterno, prosterno. 1569 G. Glemhan tr. P. M. Vermigli Most Godly Prayers sig. Kkvi^v We be here oppressed with the most greeuous burthen of our heynous sinnes, and borne downe by reason thereof, with an exceeding great waight of afflictions. 1664 J. Playford Brief Introd. Skill Musick (ed. 4) ii. 90 Bearing it [sc. a string of an instrument] hard down with the end of your finger. 1748 J. Davidson in tr. Virgil Æneid v. 67 (note) The Palm is a fit Emblem of Fortitude, because it is not crushed nor borne down by any Weight, but still maintains its Growth. 1802 E. Forster tr. Arab. Nights III. 137 The branches..were almost borne down with the weight of the fruit. 1936 M. R. Anand Coolie (1993) v. 256 He saw some coolies and hill men trudging up to Simla, borne down beneath the sacks of foodstuffs on their backs. 2013 European Union News (Nexis) 20 July It's so borne down by financial burdens that it cannot operate sufficiently. b. intransitive. To contract the abdominal muscles and diaphragm so as to raise the pressure within the abdomen, esp. during labour or defecation. Cf. push v. 1c. ΘΚΠ the world > life > source or principle of life > birth > confinement > be confined [verb (intransitive)] > be in labour > bear down push1527 to bear down1672 1672 H. Chamberlen tr. F. Mauriceau Dis. Women with Child ii. vii. 183 She must advise the Woman not to forward her Pains, lest by bearing down she engage the Child too much in the passage. 1846 C. J. Sempel tr. S. Hahnemann Chronic Dis. V. 121 Even when the stool is not hard he has to bear down considerably. 2014 J. de Kock & R. Mokhondo in J. de Kock & C. van der Walt Maternal & Newborn Care iv. xiv. 6 She will start pushing when the contractions are strong enough to evoke an involuntary urge to bear down. c. intransitive. Of the sun, rain, etc.: to come down strongly; to beat down (on or upon a person or thing). ΚΠ 1829 J. Kennedy tr. Æschylus Agamemnon 84 Dealing death ev'n through the feather'd tribe..the' Idæan snow Bore down. 1841 C. J. Lever Charles O'Malley lxxii, in Dublin Univ. Mag. Mar. 399/2 The rain bore down again in torrents. 1921 Catholic World Dec. 381 The fine, stinging sleet bore down upon him. 2012 D. VanLiere Good Dream 77 The sun bears down and Davis loosens his tie. 3. a. intransitive. Nautical. To sail with the wind. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > use of wind > avail oneself of a wind [verb (intransitive)] > sail before the wind scud1582 spoon1588 spoom1628 to stand down1635 to bear down1671 skid1815 to roll down to St. Helena1834 1671 J. Seller Coasting Pilot 4/1 Bear down toward the Naze, according to your wind. 1709 London Gaz. No. 4521/2 We all bore down to secure what Merchant ships we could. 1852 Athenæum 25 June 562/1 Sir Hugh Palliser..made the signal for ships to windward to bear down into the Admiral's wake. 2018 Kitimat Northern Sentinel (Nexis) 17 Nov. Since we now didn't have an anchor, we had no choice but to bear down and get to our next spot without stopping. b. intransitive. Originally Nautical. With upon or on a person or thing (originally an enemy ship). To proceed directly and forcefully towards a person or thing; to approach rapidly and purposefully, esp. in an intimidating manner. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement towards a thing, person, or position > move towards or approach (a thing, place, or person) [verb (transitive)] > forcefully to bear down1673 society > armed hostility > hostilities at sea > operations or manoeuvres > perform operation or manoeuvre [verb (transitive)] > approach to bear down1673 1673 Exact Relation Engagem. His Majesties Fleet sig. B4^v The Dutch being then to Windward, began to bear down upon him. 1716 London Gaz. No. 5455/3 Our Fleet..bore down upon them..keeping the Wind of them. 1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 15 Both consuls bore down on the left wing of the enemy. 1923 ‘R. Crompton’ William Again viii. 138 A large, motherly woman bore down upon him with a glass of milk and a bun. 2005 Independent 22 Sept. 28/1 More than one million people were under evacuation orders yesterday..as Hurricane Rita bore down on the central Texas coast. 4. intransitive. U.S. Baseball. To play with the utmost effort. Now also more generally: to work or try as hard as possible; to give one's all. ΚΠ 1925 Alton (Illinois) Evening Tel. 7 Mar. 6/2 (headline) Pitchers bear down in work in the South. 1970 R. Coover Universal Baseball Assoc. ii. 63 The Knicks could..still, by bearing down with their two Aces in the last two games, come out of the series better off than they went in. 2009 D. F. Wallace in New Yorker 9 Mar. 63/1 Then he did two more returns, checked the clock real quick, then two more, then bore down and did three in a row. † to bear forth 1. transitive. To transform (something) into something more advanced; to cause (something) to develop. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > existence > reality or real existence or actuality > make real [verb (transitive)] > bring forth from latent condition to bear fortha1475 a1475 Bk. Quinte Essence (1889) 11 It beriþ forþ þat blood anoon aftir into fleisch. 2. transitive. To conduct, manage (a process or situation). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > doing > activity or occupation > occupy or engage (a person) [verb (transitive)] > conduct (an affair) demeanc1315 to see for ——1405 to go in hand with (also to do something)c1450 treatc1450 behavea1529 ordera1535 handle1548 manage1579 to bear forth1631 conduct1632 1631 J. Weever Anc. Funerall Monuments 212 This Duke had borne forth his youth with better respect then Prince Henry his brother had done. to bear in 1. intransitive. Nautical. To sail towards; to approach. Also with with, †for, etc., a specified place. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction > sail towards shore to stand in1582 to bear in1587 to bear with —1587 to fall in1598 1587 J. White in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) iii. 770 The 16. of October we made land, but we knew not what land it was, bearing in with the same land at that day. a1621 W. Strachey True Reportory Wracke Sir T. Gates in S. Purchas Pilgrimes (1625) IV. ix. vi. 1748 We set sayle againe, and having got over the Barre, bore in for the Cape. 1686 T. D'Urfey Common-wealth of Women ii. i. 11 Du Pier: What's the Coast. Boatswain: We know not yet. Let's bear in with all the Sail we can. 1837 S. Cumings Western Pilot (new ed.) 18 Now bear in till within 20 yards of the shore. 1931 Yachting Nov. 39/2 The tide still helping us, we bore in with slightly started sheets toward the lightship. 2. transitive (in passive). Of a fact, opinion, etc.: to be strongly or forcibly fixed in (a person's mind, conscience, etc.); to be impressed on or upon (a person). ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > clearness, lucidity > become clear [verb (intransitive)] to bear in1637 to speak (also express, tell) volumes1803 to clear up1875 to come together1907 1637 G. Gillespie Dispute against Eng.-Popish Ceremonies i. 6 They are bereaved of their Liberty as well as if an opinion of necessity were borne in upon their consciences. 1818 Q. Rev. 18 537 It had been born in upon his mind..that some great man..was to be cut off. 1852 J. H. Newman Disc. Univ. Educ. 103 It is borne in upon the many..as self-evident, that religious men would not thus be jealous. 2006 D. C. Dennett Breaking Spell (2007) Pref. p. xiv The urgency of the message was borne in on me again and again by current events. to bear off †1. transitive. To turn aside, repel (a blow or stroke); to ward off; (also) to protect from (adverse weather). Obsolete.In quot. a1713 in figurative context. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > safety > escape > escape from [verb (transitive)] > ward off harm withhold13.. defendc1330 to bear offc1380 withstand1398 shielda1400 repela1450 to keep off1548 repulse1560 warda1586 fence1589 shelter1621 ward1759 fend-off1830 to fend back1877 society > armed hostility > military equipment > operation and use of weapons > stroke with weapon > strike with a weapon [verb (transitive)] > ward off stroke to bear offc1380 keepc1450 c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 572 (MED) Þe Sarsyn anon bar of þe stroke with ys scheld. a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) ii. f. 37^v A demie, bukram cassok..which will neither beare of winde nor wether. a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) ii. i. 18 Here's neither bush, nor shrub to beare off any weather at all: and another Storme brewing. 1641 J. Milton Of Reformation 27 His Helmet, to beare off blowes in battell. a1713 T. Ellwood Hist. Life (1714) xix. 305 The stubborn Quakers brake their Strength, and bore off the Blow from those other Dissenters. 2. transitive. Backgammon. To remove (one's pieces) from the board according to a roll of the dice, once all of them have been moved onto one's inner table (table n. 4b). ΚΠ 1550 J. Heywood Hundred Epigrammes liii. sig. Bviii^v I will no more plaie at tables with the: Whan we come to bearyng, thou begylest me, In bearyng of thy men. 1734 R. Seymour Compl. Gamester (ed. 5) I. 57 You play your Men as fast as you can, into his Tables..; which being done, you bear off your Men. 1850 H. G. Bohn et al. Hand-bk. Games iv. 435 If one player has not borne off his first man before the other has borne off his last, he loses a ‘gammon’. 2013 @Ensor42 17 May in twitter.com (accessed 19 Feb. 2019) A player can only bear off checkers once all of their pieces are in. 3. intransitive. Nautical. Of a ship: to move away from the land or another vessel. ΚΠ 1594 R. Bowes Let. 10 May (P.R.O.: SP 52/53) f. 48 The companye would not suffer him, and caused him to beare off untill the night was comed and the tyde paste. 1627 J. Smith Sea Gram. ix. 44 When she would not come neere the land, but goeth more Roome-way than her couse [sic], wee say she beares off. 1823 C. de Roquefeuil Voy. Round World 36 The depth, (sixty-four fathoms,) being too great to allow me to anchor, I bore off. 2015 ABC Premium News (Austral.) (Nexis) 26 Dec. We had to bear off to avoid a starboard-port collision. 4. transitive. To carry off (something stolen or won); to take away (a person) against his or her will. Cf. to bear away 1a at Phrasal verbs 1. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > make a success of [verb (transitive)] > win (any contest or prize) > win (a prize, etc.) to bear awayc1325 getc1330 winc1330 to go away with1489 to carry away1565 carry1570 to bear off?1615 to carry off1680 to take out1976 ?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xiv. 364 Many games About Heroes Sepulchers, mine eyes Haue seene perform'd: But these, bore off the prize. 1813 W. Scott Rokeby iii. xxvi. 141 We are enow to storm the hold, Bear off the plunder and the dame. 1905 Edinb. Rev. Apr. 341 He captures a Chinese princess, and then in another expedition bears off a Nepalese princess; these were among the prizes of his fierce and gloomy reign. 2017 Western Mail (Cardiff) (Nexis) 22 Nov. 18 Teenage lads regularly raided the efforts of the competition.., bearing off their booty of fuel to be added to their own pyre. †5. transitive. Nautical. To push (something which is being hoisted or lowered) away from the side of a ship. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > impelling or driving > pushing and pulling > push and pull [verb (transitive)] > push > aside shouldera1400 to bear off1627 shunt1706 elbow1712 horn1851 breast1853 shove1861 the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > going away > causing to go away > command to go away [verb (transitive)] > drive away > by pushing push1530 to bear off1627 1627 J. Smith Sea Gram. ix. 44 A ship boord, beare off is vsed to euery thing you would thrust from you. 1815 W. Burney Falconer's New Universal Dict. Marine (rev. ed.) 36/2 ‘Bear off the boat!’ ‘Bear off that cask!’ 1915 T. J. Michie Treat. Law Carriers IV. vii. xxxvii. 3903 It is not the duty of a mate in loading casks of wine from a lighter,..to..bear off with his own hands the casks from the side. to bear out 1. a. transitive. To corroborate, confirm (a fact or assertion). Also: to support, back up (a person) (now only in something he or she has claimed). ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > testing > attestation, witness, evidence > attest, bear witness [verb (transitive)] > support, corroborate fasteneOE i-sothea925 sustainc1325 witness1362 approvec1380 confirmc1384 affirma1393 justifya1393 to bear outa1475 corrobore1485 uphold1485 nourisha1522 underpinc1522 to countenance outa1529 favoura1530 soothe1544 strengthen1548 comfort1593 second1596 accredit1598 evidencea1601 warrantise1600 compact1608 back1612 thickena1616 accreditate1654 shoulder1674 support1691 corroborate1706 carry1835 to give (also lend) colour1921 a1475 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery (1905) i. 245 (MED) As the charter..bare out and witnessith. 1551 R. Robinson tr. T. More Vtopia sig. Oii He helpeth and beareth out simple wittes. 1619 E. M. Bolton tr. Florus Rom. Hist. 230 Thou didst defend thy selfe..against that people which had all the earth to backe, and beare them out. 1801 M. Edgeworth Forester in Moral Tales I. 204 You think, I suppose, that your friends..will bear you out. 1867 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest I. vi. 441 A splendid panegyric which is fully borne out by his recorded acts. 1997 Time Out 10 Sept. 31/1 He claims, and his tweed jacket and lace-ups bear him out, to be resistant to fashion. 2017 Pretoria News (S. Afr.) (Nexis) 31 July 9 It is a fact, borne out by statistics, that more men than women are involved in drunken-driving related incidents. †b. transitive. To praise publicly; to extol. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > commend or praise [verb (transitive)] heryc735 mickleeOE loveOE praise?c1225 upraisea1300 alosec1300 commenda1340 allow1340 laud1377 lose1377 avauntc1380 magnifya1382 enhancea1400 roosea1400 recommendc1400 recommanda1413 to bear up?a1425 exalt1430 to say well (also evil, ill, etc.) of (also by)1445 laudifyc1470 gloryc1475 advance1483 to bear out1485 prizec1485 to be or to have in laudationa1500 joya1500 extol1509 collaud1512 concend?1521 solemnize?1521 celebrate1522 stellify1523 to set up1535 well-word1547 predicate1552 glorify1557 to set forth1565 admire1566 to be up with1592 voice1594 magnificate1598 plaud1598 concelebrate1599 encomionize1599 to con laud1602 applauda1616 panegyrize1617 acclamate1624 to set offa1625 acclaim1626 raise1645 complement1649 encomiate1651 voguec1661 phrase1675 to set out1688 Alexander1700 talk1723 panegyricize1777 bemouth1799 eulogizea1810 rhapsodize1819 crack up1829 rhapsody1847 1485 W. Caxton tr. Paris & Vienne (1957) 9 Somme were that..bare oute the beaulte of the syster of the kyng. †c. transitive. To claim, put out (that one is or has achieved something). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > communication > information > publishing or spreading abroad > publish or spread abroad [verb (transitive)] sowc888 blowc1275 dispeple1297 to do abroadc1300 fame1303 publyc1350 defamea1382 publisha1382 open?1387 proclaima1393 slandera1400 spreada1400 abroachc1400 throwc1400 to give outa1425 promote?a1425 noisec1425 publicc1430 noisec1440 divulgea1464 to put outc1475 skail1487 to come out witha1500 bruit1525 bruita1529 to bear out1530 divulgate1530 promulgate1530 propale?1530 ventilate1530 provulgate1535 sparple1536 sparse1536 promulge1539 disperse1548 publicate1548 forthtell1549 hurly-burly?1550 propagate1554 to set abroada1555 utter1561 to set forth1567 blaze1570 evulgate1570 scatter1576 rear?1577 to carry about1585 pervulgate1586 celebrate?1596 propalate1598 vent1602 evulge1611 to give forth1611 impublic1628 ventilate1637 disseminate1643 expose1644 emit1650 to put about1664 to send abroad1681 to get abroad1688 to take out1697 advertise1710 forward1713 to set abouta1715 circulate1780 broadcast1829 vent1832 vulgate1851 debit1879 float1883 society > morality > dueness or propriety > [verb (transitive)] > claim > claim acknowledgement or recognition to bear out1530 challenge1615 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 450/2 This felowe beareth it out, as he were a great gentlyman. 1629 J. Gaule Practique Theories Christs Predict. 334 Yet he beares out, As he'd preuent, or pittie the disaster. 1701 B. Jenks Medit. vii. lxvi. 330 They bore it out, That they were Abraham's children. 2. intransitive. Originally Painting. Of a colour: to appear to the eye, esp. vividly or effectively; to stand out. Cf. to bring out 3 at bring v. Phrasal verbs 1. Now rare. ΚΠ 1787 W. Williams Ess. Mech. Oil Colours ii. 28 The artist will have much..satisfaction to find his colours..bear out with such force and brilliancy. 1855 J. Edwards Paint. Oil Colours 28 The colours of pigments ‘bear out’ with effects differing according to the liquids with which they are combined. 2016 @ColourInSA 15 Nov. in twitter.com (accessed 25 May 2019) The colours bear out brightest on white fabric! † to bear outward(s) Obsolete. intransitive. Esp. of a part of the body: to project beyond the adjacent parts; to stick out, protrude. ΚΠ 1525 Anothomia in tr. H. von Brunschwig Noble Experyence Handy Warke Surg. xi. sig. C.ii/1 These .ii. bonys is made the hole bone & proporcyon of the hele, wherin is festynyd the hole fote, and beryth outward behynde for þ^e great bondis that be in it. 1556 T. Hill tr. B. Cocles Brief Epitomye Phisiognomie xx. sig. C.ii^v The teathe longe like dogges teathe , and strong set and properlie bearinge outwarde, declare that man to be a very gluttonous persone. 1611 R. Peake tr. S. Serlio 3rd Bk. Archit. iv. f. 67 The workeman was very iudicious, that he suffered the Corona to go through vnbroken; and suffered the other parts of the Corona to beare outwards. 1741 J. Stockton tr. C. de Saint-Yves New Treat. Dis. Eyes ii. i. 150 The Membranes of the Globe become thick, as it were fleshy, and afterwards carcinomatous; so that, the Distention of the Globe hindering it to lie in its Orbit, it bears outwards. † to bear over [Compare overbear v.] 1. transitive. To delay the use of (something); to hold or keep over. Obsolete. ΚΠ a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Prov. xxix. 11 A wis man berth ouer, and kepith vnto afterward. 2. transitive. To transfer (something) to somebody else; to pass (something) over to another. Cf. overbear v. 1. Obsolete. ΚΠ a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. x. 8 Rewme fro folc in to folc is born ouer. 3. transitive. To push (a person or thing) to the ground by weight or physical force; to overwhelm; (also figurative) to overthrow, overcome (a person) by power or influence. Cf. overbear v. 2. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > authority > subjection > subjecting or subjugation > subject [verb (transitive)] > suppress, repress, or put down nithereOE adweschOE overtreadOE quellOE to trample or tread under foot (also feet)c1175 adauntc1325 to bear downc1330 oppressc1380 repressc1391 overyoke?a1425 quencha1425 to bear overc1425 supprisec1440 overquell?c1450 farec1460 supprime1490 downbeara1500 stanch1513 undertread1525 downtread1536 suppress1537 to set one's foot on the neck of1557 depress?a1562 overbear1565 surpress1573 trample1583 repose1663 spiflicate1749 sort1815 to trample down1853 to sit on ——1915 to clamp down1924 crack down1940 tamp1959 c1425 J. Lydgate Troyyes Bk. (Augustus A.iv) iii. l. 1132 (MED) Meneste..with a spere..Bar him ouer & made hym for to falle. 1529 T. More Dyaloge Dyuers Maters xvi. f. xx^v Loth wer I to hyt yt wyth a full shot and a sharpe as I haue sene sum wyth suche reasons cleeue the pryk in twayne, yt they semyd to bere ouer the but. 1565 W. Allen Def. & Declar. Doctr. Purgatory ii. v. f. 168 Him doo I name..: whose onely worde with oute all proufe..woulde beare ouer all these pety protestantes putt together. 1633 Bp. J. Hall Plaine Explic. Hard Texts i. 516 He shall..beare over, and kill those that stood against him. 1783 S. W. Prenties Narr. Shipwreck on Cape Breton (ed. 5) 16 As soon as the ship had grounded, the sea began to bear over her in every part. 1839 E. F. Pollard Green Mountain Boys xii. 106 He found himself thus in the midst of them, and borne over by the very impetus of the mass. † to bear through transitive. To pierce or stab (a person) through the body; to run (a person) through. Obsolete. ΚΠ a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) III. 1193 So fyersly they mette togydirs and so felonsly that aythir bare other thorow. to bear up 1. transitive. To carry (a person or thing) to a higher place or position. Also: to hold up while carrying. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] to bear upeOE underbearc950 bearOE holdc1000 weighc1200 to hold up1297 upholda1300 sustainc1330 undersetc1330 comforta1382 underbear1382 upbear1390 sustaina1398 upkeepc1412 carrya1425 supporta1425 chargea1500 convey1514 avoke1529 confirm1542 stay1548 to carry up1570 bolster1581 lift1590 upstay1590 atlas1593 sustent1605 statuminatea1628 firm1646 appui1656 establish1664 shoulder1674 to keep up1681 upheave1729 withhold1769 the world > space > relative position > high position > set in a high position [verb (transitive)] > hold up or aloft to bear upeOE bearc1380 to show up?1531 eOE tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (Tanner) iv. xxiv. 340 Þa geseah heo þære foresprecenan Godes þeowe sawle Hilde þære abbudissan..to heofonum up borenne beon [L. ad caelum ferri]. c1400 Prose Versions New Test.: Prol. (Selwyn) (1904) 10 Y haue bor ȝou up on egles wynges & y-take ȝou to my-self. 1483 tr. Adam of Eynsham Reuelation xii They ware bore vppe an hy by the grete vyolente flamys of fier. ?1504 S. Hawes Example of Vertu sig. ff.iv Dame grace..bare vp her trayne. 1612 I. M. tr. Most Famous Hist. Meruine i. xv. 101 Thus was the faire lady Gratiana borne vp to the cloudes. 1730 R. Witham Annot. New Test. I. (Matt. xxvii. 31) 128 Whether it were that they made Simon carry the whole cross, or whether he only bore it up behind; is not expressed. 1897 M. MacDonagh Bk. of Parl. x. 188 Ladies-in-waiting were grouped behind the young Queen, bearing up her long train. 2016 L. Serafim To look on Death No More (e-book ed.) He told Danae to close her eyes and imagine they were leaving the earth behind, that Elektra was bearing them up into the sky. 2. transitive. To hold (a person or thing) up and prevent him, her, or it from falling or sinking; to support, keep up. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > support > [verb (transitive)] > specifically a person: keep from falling to bear upOE steady1848 OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) i. 185 Þæt flod weox ða, & bær up þone arc. a1225 (c1200) Vices & Virtues (1888) 95 Ðe postes..sculen beren up ðis weorc. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) I. v. liv. 269 Þe foot..beriþ vp al þe body. 1611 Bible (King James) Judges xvi. 29 The two middle pillars..on which it was borne vp. View more context for this quotation 1848 New Hampsh. Statesman 21 July The water bore her up, as if she sat on a swing. 1905 Publ. Cupples & Leon in Publishers' Trade List Ann. If his cupped and blistered legs would bear him up, Mr. Lent would qualify as a rival of Simeon Ford as an after-dinner speaker. 2000 Chaucer Rev. 35 182 The pillars of poets that bear up the ceiling in Fame's palace symbolically underscore the importance of poetic tradition. †3. transitive. To lift or raise (the head, feathers, etc.). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > raising > make to go up or cause to rise [verb (transitive)] > raise > specifically a part of the body to bear upc1175 to cast upc1384 to throw upa1413 erect1609 to up with1766 c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1297 Forr bule lateþþ modiliȝ. & bereþþ upp hiss hæfedd. c1460 (a1449) J. Lydgate Minor Poems (1934) ii. 765 The Pecok..Berth up his fethrys displayed like a sayl. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost vii. 470 The swift Stag..Bore up his branching head. 1889 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Oct. 447/2 The great brute rose to his touch, closing its eyes, and bearing up its head like a cat. 4. a. transitive. To exalt, raise up (a person or thing). Formerly also reflexive: †to exalt oneself; to promote oneself on the strength of a specified circumstance (obsolete). Now rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > pride > pretension to superiority > pretend to superiority [verb (reflexive)] to bear up?a1425 authorize1590 exalt1611 ritz1911 the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > commend or praise [verb (transitive)] heryc735 mickleeOE loveOE praise?c1225 upraisea1300 alosec1300 commenda1340 allow1340 laud1377 lose1377 avauntc1380 magnifya1382 enhancea1400 roosea1400 recommendc1400 recommanda1413 to bear up?a1425 exalt1430 to say well (also evil, ill, etc.) of (also by)1445 laudifyc1470 gloryc1475 advance1483 to bear out1485 prizec1485 to be or to have in laudationa1500 joya1500 extol1509 collaud1512 concend?1521 solemnize?1521 celebrate1522 stellify1523 to set up1535 well-word1547 predicate1552 glorify1557 to set forth1565 admire1566 to be up with1592 voice1594 magnificate1598 plaud1598 concelebrate1599 encomionize1599 to con laud1602 applauda1616 panegyrize1617 acclamate1624 to set offa1625 acclaim1626 raise1645 complement1649 encomiate1651 voguec1661 phrase1675 to set out1688 Alexander1700 talk1723 panegyricize1777 bemouth1799 eulogizea1810 rhapsodize1819 crack up1829 rhapsody1847 the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > majesty, glory, or grandeur > exaltation or glorification > exalt or glorify [verb (transitive)] heavec825 higheOE brightenOE clarifya1340 glorifya1340 enhancec1374 stellifyc1384 biga1400 exalt?a1400 raisea1400 shrinea1400 to bear up?a1425 enhighc1440 erect?a1475 assumec1503 amount1523 dignifya1530 to set up1535 extol1545 enthronize1547 augment1567 sublimate?1567 sublime1568 assumptc1571 begoda1576 royalize1589 suscitate1598 swell1601 consecrate1605 realize1611 reara1616 sphere1615 ingreata1620 superexalta1626 soara1627 ascend1628 rise1628 embroider1629 apotheose1632 grandize1640 engreaten1641 engrandizea1652 mount1651 intronificate1653 magnificent1656 superposit1661 grandify1665 heroify1677 apotheosize1695 enthrone1699 aggrandize1702 pantheonize1801 hoist1814 princify1847 queen1880 heroize1887 ?a1425 (a1415) Lanterne of Liȝt (Harl.) (1917) 10 (MED) Þe fifþe synne is envie..as whanne þi neiȝbour is wise, wel gouerned, preisid or born vp. 1530 Myroure Oure Ladye (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 188 Thou ouercomest them that bere vp themselfe. 1695 B. Jenks Liberty of Prayer Asserted ii. ii. 152 Whoever thinks to bear himself up, with a Credit Usurpt at the loss of God's Honour, who will be sure to make his Despisers Contemptible. 1783 Henry's Treat. Baptism Abridged vi. 235 Much of the mercy of having children lies in this, that we have them..not only to honour us, and to bear up our names, but to honour God, and to bear up his name in the world. 1953 Fitchburg (Mass.) Sentinel 23 May 3/4 To bear up God, to seek His wisdom..lifts all life. †b. transitive. To support or endorse (a person) in a course of action; to uphold (a principle); to support (a cause). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > support or encouragement > support or encourage [verb (transitive)] > a cause, principle, etc. to bear upc1475 patrocinate1593 patrocinea1633 upstand1722 to fight the good fight1809 c1475 (?c1400) Apol. Lollard Doctr. (1842) 64 Now are iust men oft wrongid, and schrewis..born vp in iuel. 1592 J. Throckmorton Petition most Excellent Maiestie 31 The writers against the gouuernement of Bishops do maliciouslie diffame the Princes that beare it vp. 1606 L. Bryskett Disc. Ciuill Life 20 Persons to assist my accuser, and beare vp his cause. 1658 O. Cromwell Speech 25 Jan. in Lett. & Speeches (1857) III. 343 Through want to bear up our Honour at Sea. 1857 Home & Foreign Rec. Free Church Scotl. Nov. 94/2 We have supported and borne up false creeds. c. intransitive. To stand firm, hold out against adversity or under difficult circumstances; to keep up one's courage or spirits; to cope. Now also in neutral sense: to fare, get on. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > oppose [verb (intransitive)] > resist > maintain resistance to hold out1585 to bear upa1616 a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iii. ii. 3 Which rais'd in me An vndergoing stomacke, to beare vp Against what should ensue. 1653 H. More Antidote against Atheisme i. ix. 26 Bearing up as well as they can. 1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 256. ¶8 To bear up under Scandal and Defamation. 1796 E. Burke Two Lett. Peace Regicide Directory France in Wks. (1842) II. 291 Bearing up against those vicissitudes of fortune. 1852 H. B. Stowe Uncle Tom's Cabin I. iii. 37 Bear up, now; and good-by; for I'm going. 1928 S. Kaye-Smith Iron & Smoke iv. 270 ‘How are you, Isabel?’ she heard her own voice ask nervously. ‘Oh, bearing up, as the boys say. Or getting on as well as can be expected.’ 2012 London Evening Standard (Nexis) 18 Dec. 15 I asked one teenager how she was bearing up and she answered bravely that she was fine. d. transitive. To keep up the courage or spirits of (a person). ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > pleasure > cheerfulness > make cheerful [verb (transitive)] > keep cheerful to bear up1643 1643 J. Caryl Expos. 3 First Chaps. Iob i. 202 Consider the two extreames, the beginning and the ending, and that will beare thee up in the middle condition. 1750 S. Johnson Rambler No. 68 (1753) I Most are born up by some private Satisfaction..which they never communicate. 1852 Hammers & Ploughshares iv. 27 What hope have you to bear you up? 2010 Lancs. Tel. (Nexis) 13 Feb. You were borne up by knowing there were so many people praying for you. 5. intransitive. Nautical. To put the helm of a ship up so as to turn into the wind, often in order to avoid an obstacle or collision. Also with for indicating a destination. Cf. to bear away 3 at Phrasal verbs 1. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (transitive)] > set a ship's course > sail towards or head for to seek up14.. to bear up1582 to stand for ——a1594 to seek up for1632 1582 N. Lichefield tr. F. L. de Castanheda 1st Bk. Hist. Discouerie E. Indias xlix f. 107 The ship that Steuen de la Gama went in did beare vp onely with her fore saile, and his sprit Saile all to torne. 1611 Bible (King James) Acts xxvii. 15 The ship..could not beare vp into [Geneva make way against] the winde. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) i. ii. 157 Beare vp, & boord 'em. View more context for this quotation 1778 J. Cook Jrnl. 3 June (1967) III. i. 373 Being past the rocks, they bore up to the Southward. 1798 in Ld. Nelson Dispatches & Lett. (1845) III. 48 Nelson immediately bore up under all sail, for Alexandria. 1840 Naut. Mag. & Naval Chron. 203 An established rule in nautical affairs: that the ship on the larboard tack shall bear up, to avoid coming in collision with vessels on the starboard tack, which are expected to keep their wind. 1920 H. W. Richmond Navy in War of 1739–48 II. vi. 120 He was obliged to bear up for Mahon, intending to refit as quickly as possible and then resume his station off the coast of Provence. 2007 Capital (Annapolis, Maryland) (Nexis) 8 July c9 As the wind came over the starboard side, Alinghi had the right-of-way, and New Zealand failed to keep clear. Alinghi had to bear up to avoid a hit. PV2. With prepositions in specialized senses.† to bear upon — 1. transitive. To accuse a person of (something); (also) to attribute (something) to someone. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > testing > accusation, charge > accuse [verb (transitive)] > lay to one's charge, impute witec893 challenge1297 weena1300 to bear upon —c1300 likenc1400 layc1425 to put upa1438 object1447 establish1483 impose1484 reproach1490 annotea1513 lade1535 appoint1553 burden1559 clap1609 to charge (a fault, etc.) on, upon, against (a person)1611 upcast1825 c1300 (c1250) Floris & Blauncheflur (Cambr.) (1966) l. 331 He wule..bere vpon þe [i.e. thee] felonie. c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 363 The seid large endewing born upon Constantyn to be mad to Siluester Pope was neuere doon. c1475 Antichrist & Disciples in J. H. Todd Three Treat. J. Wycklyffe (1851) p. cxxxiii Crist was..beten, & shourged, and false borne vpon. 2. transitive. figurative. to bear (a rein) upon: to control, restrain, as though with a horse's rein. Cf. rein n.¹ 2a. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > authority > control > [verb (transitive)] wieldeOE redeOE temperc1000 wisc1000 yemec1000 aweldc1175 guy13.. rule1340 attemperc1374 stightlea1375 justifya1393 governa1400 moder1414 control1495 moderate1534 rein1557 manage1560 sway1587 to bear (a rein) upon1603 bridle1615 ephorize1647 puppet1840 coact1855 boss1856 run1869 swing1873 society > authority > subjection > restraint or restraining > restrain [verb (transitive)] > hold in check bridleOE tempera1050 chastec1230 to hold inc1300 straina1340 stintc1366 attemperc1380 restraina1387 rulea1391 ward1390 coarctc1400 obtemper?a1425 to hold or keep (a person) shortc1425 compesce1430 stent1488 coactc1520 repressa1525 compress1526 control1548 snaffle1555 temperatea1568 brank1574 halter1577 curb1588 shortena1599 to bear (a rein) upon1603 check1629 coerceate1657 bit1825 throttle1862 hold1901 1603 S. Daniel Def. Ryme in Panegyrike (new ed.) sig. H5^v The best reine, the strongst hand to make men keepe their way, is that which their enemy beares vpon them. 1610 J. Healey tr. St. Augustine Citie of God xxii. xxii. 903 The hand of God bearing a raine vpon our condemned soules. a1682 Sir T. Browne Christian Morals (1716) iii. 114 Bear not too slack reins upon Pleasure. to bear with — 1. intransitive. To be patient with or tolerant towards (a person); to make allowances for; to put up with (a person or thing).Now frequently in bear with me: be patient while I do or finish something. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > calmness > patience > endure patiently [verb (transitive)] > bear with or tolerate forbearc897 tholec950 bearOE abidec1300 bidea1325 takec1330 suffer1340 wielda1375 to have patience with (also in, toward)c1384 supportc1384 to sit with ——c1400 sustainc1400 thulgec1400 acceptc1405 to away with1528 brook1530 well away1533 to bear with —1538 digest1553 to comport with1565 stand1567 purse?1571 to put up1573 well away1579 comport1588 fadge1592 abrook1594 to come away1594 to take up with1609 swallow1611 embracea1616 to pack up1624 concocta1627 to set down bya1630 to take with ——1632 tolerate1646 brook1658 stomach1677 pouch1819 1538 H. Latimer Let. 13 Dec. (Cleo. E.iv/2) f. 321^v I kno by experience yo^r goodnesse y^t you wyll bere w^t fowlles in ther freylnesse. a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) iii. ii. 106 Beare with me, My heart is in the Coffin there with Cæsar. View more context for this quotation 1712 A. Pope in Spectator No. 408. Little Irregularities are sometimes..to be born with. 1872 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest IV. xviii. 113 A foreign King had to be borne with. 1916 Daily Mail (Hull) 30 Oct. 4/6 What patience it requires to bear with the faults and follies which even the best of friends will show. 2019 @Castrodour 2 July in twitter.com (accessed 10 July 2019) Drawings may come out a lil wonky as I'm tryna to adapt with this software again, bear with me!! †2. intransitive. Nautical. To sail towards, head for. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (intransitive)] > head in a certain course or direction > sail towards shore to stand in1582 to bear in1587 to bear with —1587 to fall in1598 1587 J. White in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) iii. 765 The next day after,..wee sawe Hispaniola, and bare with the coast all that day. 1596 W. Raleigh Discoverie Guiana (new ed.) 89 We followed a braunch of Orenoque called Capuri, which entred into the sea eastward of our ships, to the end we might beare with them before the wind. a1640 T. Risdon Chorogr. Surv. Devon (1811) (modernized text) §210 218 This tor serveth as mark to sailors, who bear with Plymouth haven. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2020; most recently modified version published online June 2022). bearv.² Brit. /bɛː/, U.S. /bɛ(ə)r/ Etymology: < bear n.¹ (compare bear n.¹ II.). Stock Market. †1. intransitive. To trade as a ‘bear’ (bear n.¹ 11) on the stock market; to speculate for a fall; to produce or attempt to produce a fall in the price of stock. Also (in earliest use) figurative. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > deal in stocks and shares [verb (intransitive)] > specific operations soften1565 to get out1728 bear1837 to rig the (stock) market1841 stag1845 cornera1860 to straddle the market1870 raid1889 to make a market1899 to job backwards1907 to mark to (the) market1925 short1959 daisy-chain1979 to pitch for ——1983 1837 W. Maginn in Bentley's Mag. Nov. 448 His stories being..lies..I should have been sorry to have bulled or beared in Spanish on the strength of them. 1853 Observer 18 July 4/5 To extract a profit from either Bulling or Bearing in a market so conspicuous for firmness, is, however, no easy task. 1863 Merchants' Mag. June 449 We desire nothing but fair play—no bulling or bearing. 2. transitive. To produce a fall in the price of (stock, shares, or commodities liable to speculation); to affect (the market) in this way. Also figurative. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > deal in stocks and shares [verb (transitive)] > influence the market > depress the market fall1564 bear1840 hammer1865 bang1884 flatten1891 pound1895 1840 Age 8 Nov. 359/3 The Jew party have had it all their own way, not only in bearing or bulling the Market, but making heavy differences, and then leaving them unpaid. 1848 W. Armstrong Stocks 19 This is perhaps the grand theatre for bulling and bearing stocks. 1881 Chicago Times 4 June If we succeed in bulling silver we shall also succeed in bearing gold to the same extent. 1887 Pall Mall Gaz. 26 Nov. 12 Bulling and Bearing Men's Lives. 1914 Financial Times 13 July 3/1 The business in raw silk was never more prosperous, and but for one merchant, who persistently beared the market, the total value would have reached very high figures. 1972 R. Sobel Amex (2000) v. 83 Every week pools formed with the intent of bulling or bearing a stock. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2020; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < n.¹OEn.²c1300n.³1674v.¹eOEv.²1837
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bearn.1

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† bearn.2

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† bearn.3

bearv.1

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bearv.2

bearn.¹

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bearv.¹

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