bear

I [[t]be͟ə(r)[/t]] VERB USES

♦♦

bears, bearing, bore, borne

(Please look at category 19 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.)

1) VERB If you bear something somewhere, you carry it there or take it there. [LITERARY]

[V n adv/prep] They bore the oblong hardwood box into the kitchen and put it on the table.

Syn:

carry

Derived words:

-bearing COMB in ADJ

...food-bearing lorries.

2) VERB If you bear something such as a weapon, you hold it or carry it with you. [FORMAL]

[V n] ...the constitutional right to bear arms.

Derived words:

-bearing COMB in ADJ

...rifle-bearing soldiers.

...hundreds of flag-bearing marchers.

3) VERB If something bears the weight of something else, it supports the weight of that thing.

[V n] The ice was not thick enough to bear the weight of marching men.

Syn:

support

Derived words:

-bearing COMB in ADJ

...the load-bearing joints of the body.

4) VERB If something bears a particular mark or characteristic, it has that mark or characteristic.

[V n] The houses bear the marks of bullet holes and the streets are practically deserted.

[V n] ...note paper bearing the Presidential seal.

[V n] ...a corporation he owned that bore his name...

[V n] The room bore all the signs of a violent struggle.

5) VERB If you bear an unpleasant experience, you accept it because you are unable to do anything about it.

[V n] They will have to bear the misery of living in constant fear of war...

[V n] He bore his sufferings manfully.

Syn:

endure

6) VERB: with neg If you can't bear someone or something, you dislike them very much.

[V n/-ing] I can't bear people who make judgements and label me...

[V n/-ing] I can't bear having to think what I'm going to say...

[V to-inf] He can't bear to talk about it, even to me.

7) VERB If someone bears the cost of something, they pay for it.

[V n] Patients should not have to bear the costs of their own treatment.

8) VERB If you bear the responsibility for something, you accept responsibility for it.

[V n] If a woman makes a decision to have a child alone, she should bear that responsibility alone.

Syn:

accept

9) VERB: usu with brd-neg If one thing bears no resemblance or no relationship to another thing, they are not at all similar.

[V n] Their daily menus bore no resemblance whatsoever to what they were actually fed...

[V n] For many software packages, the price bears little relation to cost.

Syn:

have

10) VERB When a plant or tree bears flowers, fruit, or leaves, it produces them.

[V n] As the plants grow and start to bear fruit they will need a lot of water.

Syn:

produce

Derived words:

-bearing COMB in ADJ

...a strong, fruit-bearing apple tree.

11) VERB If something such as a bank account or an investment bears interest, interest is paid on it.

[V n] The eight-year bond will bear annual interest of 10.5%.

Derived words:

-bearing COMB in ADJ

...interest-bearing current accounts.

12) VERB When a woman bears a child, she gives birth to him or her. [OLD-FASHIONED]

[V n] Emma bore a son called Karl...

[V n n] She bore him a daughter, Suzanna.

13) VERB If you bear someone a feeling such as love or hate, you feel that emotion towards them. [LITERARY]

[V n] She bore no ill will. If people didn't like her, too bad...

[V n n] I have lived with him on the best terms and bear him friendship.

14) VERB If you bear yourself in a particular way, you move or behave in that way. [LITERARY]

[V pron-refl adv/prep] There was elegance and simple dignity in the way he bore himself.

Syn:

carry

15) VERB If you bear left or bear right when you are driving or walking along, you turn and continue in that direction.

[V adv] Go left onto the A107 and bear left into Seven Sisters Road.

Syn:

veer

16) → See also , borne

17) PHRASE: V inflects If you bring something to bear on a situation, you use it to deal with that situation.

British scientists have brought computer science to bear on this problem.

18) PHRASE: V inflects If you bring pressure or influence to bear on someone, you use it to try and persuade them to do something.

His companions brought pressure to bear on him, urging him to stop wasting money.

19) bear the brunt of → see brunt

bear comparison → see comparison

bear fruit → see fruit

grin and bear it → see grin

bear in mind → see mind

bear witness → see witness

Phrasal Verbs:

- bear down

- bear out

- bear up

- bear with

II [[t]be͟ə(r)[/t]] NOUN USES

bears

(Please look at category 3 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.)

1) N-COUNT A bear is a large, strong wild animal with thick fur and sharp claws.

2) N-COUNT: usu pl On the stock market, bears are people who sell shares in expectation of a drop in price, in order to make a profit by buying them back again after a short time. Compare bull.

3) teddy bear → see teddy

→ See also polar bear