from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Bear \Bear\ (b[^a]r), v. t. [imp. {Bore} (b[=o]r) (formerly
{Bare} (b[^a]r)); p. p. {Born} (b[^o]rn), {Borne} (b[=o]rn);
p. pr. & vb. n. {Bearing}.] [OE. beren, AS. beran, beoran, to
bear, carry, produce; akin to D. baren to bring forth, G.
geb[aum]ren, Goth. ba['i]ran to bear or carry, Icel. bera,
Sw. b[aum]ra, Dan. b[ae]re, OHG. beran, peran, L. ferre to
bear, carry, produce, Gr. fe`rein, OSlav. brati to take,
carry, OIr. berim I bear, Skr. bh[.r] to bear. [root]92. Cf.
{Fertile}.]
1. To support or sustain; to hold up.
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2. To support and remove or carry; to convey.
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I 'll bear your logs the while. --Shak.
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3. To conduct; to bring; -- said of persons. [Obs.]
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Bear them to my house. --Shak.
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4. To possess and use, as power; to exercise.
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Every man should bear rule in his own house.
--Esther i.
22.
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5. To sustain; to have on (written or inscribed, or as a
mark), as, the tablet bears this inscription.
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6. To possess or carry, as a mark of authority or
distinction; to wear; as, to bear a sword, badge, or name.
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7. To possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to
entertain; to harbor --Dryden.
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The ancient grudge I bear him. --Shak.
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8. To endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer.
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Should such a man, too fond to rule alone,
Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne.
--Pope.
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I cannot bear
The murmur of this lake to hear. --Shelley.
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My punishment is greater than I can bear. --Gen. iv.
13.
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9. To gain or win. [Obs.]
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Some think to bear it by speaking a great word.
--Bacon.
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She was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of
friends and bribing of the judge. --Latimer.
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10. To sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense,
responsibility, etc.
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He shall bear their iniquities. --Is. liii.
11.
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Somewhat that will bear your charges. --Dryden.
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11. To render or give; to bring forward. "Your testimony
bear" --Dryden.
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12. To carry on, or maintain; to have. "The credit of bearing
a part in the conversation." --Locke.
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13. To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain
without violence, injury, or change.
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In all criminal cases the most favorable
interpretation should be put on words that they can
possibly bear. --Swift.
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14. To manage, wield, or direct. "Thus must thou thy body
bear." --Shak. Hence: To behave; to conduct.
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Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? --Shak.
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15. To afford; to be to; to supply with.
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His faithful dog shall bear him company. --Pope.
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16. To bring forth or produce; to yield; as, to bear apples;
to bear children; to bear interest.
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Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore.
--Dryden.
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Note: In the passive form of this verb, the best modern usage
restricts the past participle born to the sense of
brought forth, while borne is used in the other senses
of the word. In the active form, borne alone is used as
the past participle.
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{To bear down}.
(a) To force into a lower place; to carry down; to
depress or sink. "His nose, . . . large as were the
others, bore them down into insignificance."
--Marryat.
(b) To overthrow or crush by force; as, to bear down an
enemy.
{To bear a hand}.
(a) To help; to give assistance.
(b) (Naut.) To make haste; to be quick.
{To bear in hand}, to keep (one) up in expectation, usually
by promises never to be realized; to amuse by false
pretenses; to delude. [Obs.] "How you were borne in hand,
how crossed." --Shak.
{To bear in mind}, to remember.
{To bear off}.
(a) To restrain; to keep from approach.
(b) (Naut.) To remove to a distance; to keep clear from
rubbing against anything; as, to bear off a blow; to
bear off a boat.
(c) To gain; to carry off, as a prize.
(d) (Backgammon) To remove from the backgammon board into
the home when the position of the piece and the dice
provide the proper opportunity; -- the goal of the
game is to bear off all of one's men before the
opponent.
{To bear one hard}, to owe one a grudge. [Obs.] "C[ae]sar
doth bear me hard." --Shak.
{To bear out}.
(a) To maintain and support to the end; to defend to the
last. "Company only can bear a man out in an ill
thing." --South.
(b) To corroborate; to confirm.
{To bear up}, to support; to keep from falling or sinking.
"Religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings."
--Addison.
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Syn: To uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer;
endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft.
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