Meaning of BEAR in English


1. v. (past bore; past part. borne, born)


In the passive born is used with reference to birth (e.g. was born in July), except for borne by foll. by the name of the mother (e.g. was borne by Sarah).

1. tr. carry, bring, or take (esp. visibly) (bear gifts).

2 tr. show; be marked by; have as an attribute or characteristic (bear marks of violence; bears no relation to the case; bore no name).

3 tr. a produce, yield (fruit etc.). b give birth to (has borne a son; was born last week).

4 tr. a sustain (a weight, responsibility, cost, etc.). b stand, endure (an ordeal, difficulty, etc.).

5 tr. (usu. with neg. or interrog.) a tolerate; put up with (can't bear him; how can you bear it?). b admit of; be fit for (does not bear thinking about).

6 tr. carry in thought or memory (bear a grudge).

7 intr. veer in a given direction (bear left).

8 tr. bring or provide (something needed) (bear him company).

9 refl. behave (in a certain way).

Phrases and idioms:

bear arms

1. carry weapons; serve as a soldier.

2 wear or display heraldic devices. bear away (or off) win (a prize etc.). bear down exert downward pressure. bear down on approach rapidly or purposefully. bear fruit have results. bear a hand help. bear hard on oppress. bear in mind take into account having remembered. bear on (or upon) be relevant to. bear out support or confirm (an account or the person giving it). bear repeating be worth repetition. bear up raise one's spirits; not despair. bear with treat forbearingly; tolerate patiently. bear witness testify.

Etymology: OE beran f. Gmc 2. n. & v.


1. any large heavy mammal of the family Ursidae, having thick fur and walking on its soles.

2 a rough, unmannerly, or uncouth person.

3 Stock Exch. a person who sells shares hoping to buy them back later at a lower price.


5 (the Bear) colloq. Russia.

--v. Stock Exch.

1. intr. speculate for a fall in price.

2 tr. produce a fall in the price of (stocks etc.).

Phrases and idioms:

bear-baiting hist. an entertainment involving setting dogs to attack a captive bear. bear-hug a tight embrace. bear market Stock Exch. a market with falling prices. bear's breech a kind of acanthus, Acanthus mollis. bear's ear auricula. bear's foot a hellebore, Helleborus fetidus. the Great Bear, the Little Bear two constellations near the North Pole. like a bear with a sore head Brit. colloq. very irritable.

Etymology: OE bera f. WG

Oxford English vocab.      Оксфордский английский словарь.