bear

n. [ OE. bere, AS. bera; akin to D. beer, OHG. bero, pero, G. bär, Icel. & Sw. björn, and possibly to L. fera wild beast, Gr. fh`r beast, Skr. bhalla bear. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Zool.) Any species of the genus Ursus, and of the closely allied genera. Bears are plantigrade Carnivora, but they live largely on fruit and insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

The European brown bear (Ursus arctos), the white polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the grizzly bear (Ursus horribilis), the American black bear, and its variety the cinnamon bear (Ursus Americanus), the Syrian bear (Ursus Syriacus), and the sloth bear, are among the notable species. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) An animal which has some resemblance to a bear in form or habits, but no real affinity; as, the woolly bear; ant bear; water bear; sea bear. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Astron.) One of two constellations in the northern hemisphere, called respectively the Great Bear and the Lesser Bear, or Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Metaphorically: A brutal, coarse, or morose person. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Stock Exchange) A person who sells stocks or securities for future delivery in expectation of a fall in the market. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The bears and bulls of the Stock Exchange, whose interest it is, the one to depress, and the other to raise, stocks, are said to be so called in allusion to the bear's habit of pulling down, and the bull's of tossing up. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Mach.) A portable punching machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Naut.) A block covered with coarse matting; -- used to scour the deck. [ 1913 Webster ]

Australian bear. (Zool.) See Koala. --
Bear baiting, the sport of baiting bears with dogs. --
Bear caterpillar (Zool.), the hairy larva of a moth, esp. of the genus Euprepia. --
Bear garden. (a) A place where bears are kept for diversion or fighting. (b) Any place where riotous conduct is common or permitted. M. Arnold. --
Bear leader, one who leads about a performing bear for money; hence, a facetious term for one who takes charge of a young man on his travels. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To produce, as fruit; to be fruitful, in opposition to barrenness. [ 1913 Webster ]

This age to blossom, and the next to bear. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To suffer, as in carrying a burden. [ 1913 Webster ]

But man is born to bear. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To endure with patience; to be patient. [ 1913 Webster ]

I can not, can not bear. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To press; -- with on or upon, or against. [ 1913 Webster ]

These men bear hard on the suspected party. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To take effect; to have influence or force; as, to bring matters to bear. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To relate or refer; -- with on or upon; as, how does this bear on the question? [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To have a certain meaning, intent, or effect. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her sentence bore that she should stand a certain time upon the platform. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To be situated, as to the point of compass, with respect to something else; as, the land bears N. by E. [ 1913 Webster ]

To bear against, to approach for attack or seizure; as, a lion bears against his prey. [ Obs. ] --
To bear away (Naut.), to change the course of a ship, and make her run before the wind. --
To bear back, to retreat. “Bearing back from the blows of their sable antagonist.” Sir W. Scott. --
To bear down upon (Naut.), to approach from the windward side; as, the fleet bore down upon the enemy. --
To bear in with (Naut.), to run or tend toward; as, a ship bears in with the land. --
To bear off (Naut.), to steer away, as from land. --
To bear up. (a) To be supported; to have fortitude; to be firm; not to sink; as, to bear up under afflictions. (b) (Naut.) To put the helm up (or to windward) and so put the ship before the wind; to bear away. Hamersly. --
To bear upon (Mil.), to be pointed or situated so as to affect; to be pointed directly against, or so as to hit (the object); as, to bring or plant guns so as to bear upon a fort or a ship; the artillery bore upon the center. --
To bear up to, to tend or move toward; as, to bear up to one another. --
To bear with, to endure; to be indulgent to; to forbear to resent, oppose, or punish. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. (Stock Exchange) To endeavor to depress the price of, or prices in; as, to bear a railroad stock; to bear the market. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. Bore formerly Bare ; p. p. Born Borne (bōrn); p. pr. & vb. n. Bearing. ] [ OE. beren, AS. beran, beoran, to bear, carry, produce; akin to D. baren to bring forth, G. gebären, Goth. baíran to bear or carry, Icel. bera, Sw. bära, Dan. bære, OHG. beran, peran, L. ferre to bear, carry, produce, Gr. fe`rein, OSlav. brati to take, carry, OIr. berim I bear, Skr. bh&rsdot_; to bear. √92. Cf. Fertile. ] 1. To support or sustain; to hold up. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To support and remove or carry; to convey. [ 1913 Webster ]

I 'll bear your logs the while. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To conduct; to bring; -- said of persons. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Bear them to my house. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To possess and use, as power; to exercise. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every man should bear rule in his own house. Esther i. 22. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To sustain; to have on (written or inscribed, or as a mark), as, the tablet bears this inscription. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To possess or carry, as a mark of authority or distinction; to wear; as, to bear a sword, badge, or name. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to entertain; to harbor Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

The ancient grudge I bear him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Should such a man, too fond to rule alone,
Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

I cannot bear
The murmur of this lake to hear. Shelley. [ 1913 Webster ]

My punishment is greater than I can bear. Gen. iv. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To gain or win. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Some think to bear it by speaking a great word. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

She was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of friends and bribing of the judge. Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. To sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense, responsibility, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

He shall bear their iniquities. Is. liii. 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

Somewhat that will bear your charges. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

11. To render or give; to bring forward. “Your testimony bear” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

12. To carry on, or maintain; to have. “The credit of bearing a part in the conversation.” Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

13. To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change. [ 1913 Webster ]

In all criminal cases the most favorable interpretation should be put on words that they can possibly bear. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

14. To manage, wield, or direct. “Thus must thou thy body bear.” Shak. Hence: To behave; to conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

15. To afford; to be to; to supply with. [ 1913 Webster ]

His faithful dog shall bear him company. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

16. To bring forth or produce; to yield; as, to bear apples; to bear children; to bear interest. [ 1913 Webster ]

Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

To bear down. (a) To force into a lower place; to carry down; to depress or sink. “His nose, . . . large as were the others, bore them down into insignificance.” Marryat. (b) To overthrow or crush by force; as, to bear down an enemy. --
To bear a hand. (a) To help; to give assistance. (b) (Naut.) To make haste; to be quick. --
To bear in hand, to keep (one) up in expectation, usually by promises never to be realized; to amuse by false pretenses; to delude. [ Obs. ] “How you were borne in hand, how crossed.” Shak. --
To bear in mind, to remember. --
To bear off. (a) To restrain; to keep from approach. (b) (Naut.) To remove to a distance; to keep clear from rubbing against anything; as, to bear off a blow; to bear off a boat. (c) To gain; to carry off, as a prize. (d) (Backgammon) To remove from the backgammon board into the home when the position of the piece and the dice provide the proper opportunity; -- the goal of the game is to bear off all of one's men before the opponent. --
To bear one hard, to owe one a grudge. [ Obs. ] “Cæsar doth bear me hard.” Shak. --
To bear out. (a) To maintain and support to the end; to defend to the last. “Company only can bear a man out in an ill thing.” South. (b) To corroborate; to confirm. --
To bear up, to support; to keep from falling or sinking. “Religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer; endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being borne or endured; tolerable. -- Bear"a*bly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. (Bot.) A trailing plant of the heath family (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), having leaves which are tonic and astringent, and glossy red berries of which bears are said to be fond. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) The bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an arboreal civet of Asia (Arctictis bintourong) having a long prehensile tail and shaggy black hair.
Syn. -- binturong. [ WordNet 1.5 ]