Bear v. t. [imp. Bore (formerly Bare ); p. p. Born Borne (bōrn); p. pr. & vb. n. Bearing.]
1. To support or sustain; to hold up.
2. To support and remove or carry; to convey.
I 'll bear your logs the while. --Shak.
3. To conduct; to bring; -- said of persons. [Obs.]
Bear them to my house. --Shak.
4. To possess and use, as power; to exercise.
Every man should bear rule in his own house. --Esther i. 22.
5. To sustain; to have on (written or inscribed, or as a mark), as, the tablet bears this inscription.
6. To possess or carry, as a mark of authority or distinction; to wear; as, to bear a sword, badge, or name.
7. To possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to entertain; to harbor
The ancient grudge I bear him. --Shak.
8. To endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer.
Should such a man, too fond to rule alone,
Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne. --Pope.
I cannot bear
The murmur of this lake to hear. --Shelley.
My punishment is greater than I can bear. --Gen. iv. 13.
9. To gain or win. [Obs.]
Some think to bear it by speaking a great word. --Bacon.
She was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of friends and bribing of the judge. --Latimer.
10. To sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense, responsibility, etc.
He shall bear their iniquities. --Is. liii. 11.
Somewhat that will bear your charges. --Dryden.
11. To render or give; to bring forward. “Your testimony bear”
12. To carry on, or maintain; to have. “The credit of bearing a part in the conversation.”
13. To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change.
In all criminal cases the most favorable interpretation should be put on words that they can possibly bear. --Swift.
14. To manage, wield, or direct. “Thus must thou thy body bear.” --Shak. Hence: To behave; to conduct.
Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? --Shak.
15. To afford; to be to; to supply with.
His faithful dog shall bear him company. --Pope.
16. To bring forth or produce; to yield; as, to bear apples; to bear children; to bear interest.
Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore. --Dryden.
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.
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.
Syn: -- To uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer; endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft.
Born p. p. & a.
1. Brought forth, as an animal; brought into life; introduced by birth.
No one could be born into slavery in Mexico. --Prescott.
2. Having from birth a certain character; by or from birth; by nature; innate; as, a born liar. “A born matchmaker.”
Born again Theol., regenerated; renewed; having received spiritual life. “Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God.” --John iii. 3.
Born days, days since one was born; lifetime. [Colloq.]
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bear
n 1: massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with
long shaggy coats and strong claws
2: an investor with a pessimistic market outlook; an investor
who expects prices to fall and so sells now in order to
buy later at a lower price [ant: bull]
v 1: have; "bear a resemblance"; "bear a signature"
2: give birth (to a newborn); "My wife had twins yesterday!"
[syn: give birth, deliver, birth, have]
3: put up with something or somebody unpleasant; "I cannot bear
his constant criticism"; "The new secretary had to endure
a lot of unprofessional remarks"; "he learned to tolerate
the heat"; "She stuck out two years in a miserable
marriage" [syn: digest, endure, stick out, stomach,
stand, tolerate, support, brook, abide, suffer,
put up]
4: move while holding up or supporting; "Bear gifts"; "bear a
heavy load"; "bear news"; "bearing orders"
5: bring forth, "The apple tree bore delicious apples this
year"; "The unidentified plant bore gorgeous flowers"
[syn: turn out]
6: take on as one's own the expenses or debts of another
person; "I'll accept the charges"; "She agreed to bear the
responsibility" [syn: take over, accept, assume]
7: contain or hold; have within; "The jar carries wine"; "The
canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water"
[syn: hold, carry, contain]
8: bring in; "interest-bearing accounts"; "How much does this
savings certificate pay annually?" [syn: yield, pay]
9: have on one's person; "He wore a red ribbon"; "bear a scar"
[syn: wear]
10: behave in a certain manner; "She carried herself well"; "he
bore himself with dignity"; "They conducted themselves
well during these difficult times" [syn: behave, acquit,
deport, conduct, comport, carry]
11: have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices; "She bears
the title of Duchess"; "He held the governorship for
almost a decade" [syn: hold]
12: support or hold in a certain manner; "She holds her head
high"; "He carried himself upright" [syn: hold, carry]
13: be pregnant with; "She is bearing his child"; "The are
expecting another child in January"; "I am carrying his
child" [syn: have a bun in the oven, carry, gestate,
expect]
[also: borne, born, bore]
born
adj 1: brought into existence; "he was a child born of adultery"
[ant: unborn]
2: being talented through inherited qualities; "a natural
leader"; "a born musician"; "an innate talent" [syn: natural,
born(p), innate(p)]
n : British nuclear physicist (born in Germany) honored for his
contributions to quantum mechanics (1882-1970) [syn: Max
Born]