gear
/ɡɪə
/noun
1 (often gears) A toothed wheel that works with others to alter the relation between the speed of a driving mechanism (such as the engine of a vehicle) and the speed of the driven parts (the wheels): a racing bike with ten-speed gears...
- The aim of nanotechnology is to manipulate molecules atom by atom, treating them like mechanical devices with gears, wheels, levers, hooks, pivots, locks and keys.
- This process is, of course, generally used on the larger castings and was originally introduced for the production of gears, worm wheels and cored bars.
- The spacing of the gears allows engine speeds to be reduced and the torque curve to be better exploited.
Synonyms
gearwheel, toothed wheel, cog, cogwheel
gear ratio, speed
1.1A particular setting of engaged gears: he was belting along in fifth gear...
- It slides smoothly and effortlessly into lower gears but fifth gear is a bit notchy and I have a bit of a tussle to engage it.
- Plant your foot, even in manual mode, at 130 mph, and it will change down two gears to fourth and scream off towards the 155 mph limiter.
- Your ears start to hurt from the pressure in fifth and sixth gears; now I know why people wear helmets with these machines.
1.2Used in reference to the level of effort or intensity expended in an activity or undertaking: from this weekend, the campaign is expected to step up a gear now the champions moved up a gear the play moves down a gear whenever he walks off stage...
- The food, the environs, the ambience are all in top gear for a grand welcome to "Mahabali Chakravarthy."
- Local girls u13 basketball team were noticably in top gear at the Co. Kildare community games final played at Kilcullen on Wednesday, May 24.
- With the scores at 10 -, and Town dominant, Odsal stepped up a gear to try and breach the Town defence.
2 [mass noun, usually with modifier] Equipment or apparatus that is used for a particular purpose: camping gear...
- To make shopping easy, the company arranges its catalog according to clothing, accessories, gear, and gifts.
- A few weeks after they'd gone missing, some of their personal dive gear washed up on a beach 75 miles from the dive site.
- They caught five poachers, equipped with modern rappelling gear, in possession of six bags of bird nests.
Synonyms
equipment, apparatus, paraphernalia, articles, appliances, impedimenta;
tools, utensils, implements, instruments, hardware, gadgets, gadgetry;
stuff, things;
kit, rig, tackle, outfit;
resources, amenities, supplies;
furniture, furnishings, fittings;
odds and ends, bits and pieces, bits and bobs;
trappings, appurtenances, accoutrements, regalia;
Military materiel, baggage
informal box of tricks
British informal clobber, gubbins, odds and sods
archaic equipage
2.1 informal Clothing, especially of a specified kind: designer gear...
- He expanded his clothing line from basketball gear to lifestyle wear.
- So the crumpled, unshaven look is strictly last season and those who are with it are found in designer gear and sports shoes.
- As it was, he was also wearing his travelling gear, painfully bright clothing that stood out a mile against his dark skin.
Synonyms
clothes, clothing, garments, articles of clothing/dress, attire, garb;
dress, wear, wardrobe;
outfit, costume, turnout;
finery
informal togs, duds, garms, get-up, glad rags
British informal clobber, kit, rig-out
North American informal threads
formal apparel
literary raiment, habiliments, habit
archaic vestments
2.2 informal Personal possessions and clothes: I told her to come back to my place with all her gear...
- The next day the girl returns and starts bringing in her clothes and other personal gear!
- It excels in affordable, bright, trendy, big personality clothes and club gear.
- It was a four-day trip, each man carrying his own rations, sleeping bag, clothing and personal gear.
Synonyms
belongings, possessions, effects, personal effects, property, baggage, chattels, movables, paraphernalia, appurtenances, impedimenta, miscellaneous articles, odds and ends, bits and pieces, bits and bobs, trappings, accessories
informal things, stuff, kit, junk, rubbish, dunnage, traps
British informal clobber, gubbins, odds and sods
2.3British informal Illegal drugs: Murray got him some gear...
- Some of his worst moments include ‘running around the inner city after drug dealers looking for gear, dragging my five kids with me’.
- The smackheads (heroin users) are using it then coming down on gear (heroin).
- After that I thought I was cured and went back to using gear.
verb [with object]
Design or adjust the gears in a machine to give a specified speed or power output: the vehicle’s geared too high for serious off-road use...
- The transmission is geared for power, economy and smooth transition, and is designed to withstand tough working conditions.
- This library implementation is geared for speed rather than memory efficiency and is single-threaded which makes it unsuitable for many uses.
- Ride quality is reasonable; suspension is geared to off-roading rather than sheer comfort.
Phrases
change (or switch or shift) gear
in (or into) gear
out of gear
Phrasal verbs
gear down
gear someone/thing for
gear something for/to/towards
gear up
gear someone/thing up
Origin
Middle English: of Scandinavian origin; compare with Old Norse gervi. Early senses expressed the general meaning 'equipment or apparatus', later 'mechanism': hence sense 1 of the noun (early 19th century).