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bear 1 (bâr) Share: Tweet v. bore (bôr), borne (bôrn) or born (bôrn), bear·ing, bears v.tr. 1. a. To carry (something) on one's person from one place to another: bore the suitcase to the station. b. To move from one place to another while containing or supporting (something); convey or transport: a train bearing grain. See Synonyms at carry. c. To cause to move by or with steady pressure; push: a boat borne along by the current. d. To carry or hold in the mind over time; harbor: bear a grudge; bear ill will. e. To have as a visible characteristic or attribute: a letter bearing his name. 2. To conduct (oneself) in a specified way: She bore herself with dignity. 3. a. To hold up; support: This wall bears much of the weight of the roof. b. To be accountable for; assume: bearing heavy responsibilities. c. To have a tolerance for; endure: couldn't bear his lying; can't bear to see them leave. See Synonyms at endure. d. To have grounds for; call for; warrant: This case bears investigation. 4. a. To give birth to: bore six children. b. To produce; yield: plants bearing fruit. See Synonyms at produce. 5. To offer; render: I will bear witness to the deed. v.intr. 1. To yield fruit; produce: peach trees that bear every summer. 2. To have relevance or influence; apply: They studied how the relativity theory bears on the history of science. 3. To endure something with tolerance or patience: Bear with me while I explain what happened. 4. a. To extend or proceed in a specified direction: The road bears to the right at the bottom of the hill. b. To be directed or aimed in a certain direction or at a target: The guns were brought to bear upon the approaching fleet. Phrasal Verbs: bear down 1. To exert muscular pressure downward, as in giving birth to a baby. 2. To advance in a threatening manner: The ship bore down on our canoe. 3. To apply maximum effort and concentration: If you really bear down, you will finish the task. bear out To prove to be right or justified; confirm: The test results bear out our claims. bear up To withstand stress, difficulty, or attrition: The patient bore up well during the long illness. Idioms: bear a relation/relationship to To have an association with or relevance to: That remark bears no relation to the matter at hand. bear a resemblance/liking/similarity to To be similar to; appear or function like. bear down on 1. To move rapidly toward: The ship bore down on the abandoned vessel. 2. To affect in a harmful or adverse way: Financial pressures are bearing down on them. bear fruit To come to a satisfactory conclusion or to fruition. bear in mind To hold in one's mind; remember: Bear in mind that bridges freeze before roads. [Middle English beren, from Old English beran; see bher-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] Usage Note: Thanks to the vagaries of English spelling, bear has two past participles: born and borne. Traditionally, born is used only in passive constructions referring to birth: I was born in Chicago. For all other uses, including active constructions referring to birth, borne is the standard form: She has borne both her children at home. I have borne his insolence with the patience of a saint.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

bear 2 (bâr) Share: Tweet n. 1. a. Any of various usually omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae that have a shaggy coat and a short tail and walk with the entire lower surface of the foot touching the ground. b. Any of various other animals, such as the koala, that resemble a true bear. 2. A large, clumsy, or ill-mannered person. 3. a. One, such as an investor, that sells securities or commodities in expectation of falling prices. b. A pessimist, especially regarding business conditions. 4. Slang Something that is difficult or unpleasant: The final exam was a bear. 5. Slang A highway patrol officer. 6. Slang A hairy, stocky gay man. adj. Characterized by falling prices: a bear market. [Middle English bere, from Old English bera; see bher-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots. Sense 3, probably from the proverb to sell the bear's skin before catching the bear.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

# Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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