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The definition of bear is a large mammal found in America and Eurasia which has thick fur or a big person or a person who is cranky and grumpy.

(noun)

An example of a bear is a large, thick-furred white animal which lives in cold climates and enjoys swimming.
An example of a bear is a large, stocky man.
An example of a bear is a person who just woke up from a nap feeling irritable and snappy.

Bear is defined as slang for a task which is hard to accomplish.

(noun)

An example of a bear is the process of doing a large presentation when one is sick with the flu.

Bear means to give birth to, be able to cope with or hold up weight.

(verb)

An example of bear is to have four children.
An example of bear is to hold oneself together and behave rationally in the face of a tragedy.
An example of bear is to support a heavy piece of timber while another person pounds it into the frame.

See bear in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb bore, borne or born, bearing

1. to hold and take along; carry; transport
2. to hold in the mind: to bear a secret
to possess as a part, characteristic, attribute, etc.; have or show: the letter bore his signature
to give birth to: the passive past participle in this sense is born when by does not follow
to bring forth; produce or yield: fruit-bearing trees, coal-bearing strata
to support or hold up; sustain
to sustain the burden of; take on; take care of: to bear the cost
1. to undergo successfully; withstand; endure: her work won't bear scrutiny
2. to put up with; tolerate: she can't bear him
to call for; require: his actions bear watching
to carry or conduct (oneself)
to carry over or hold (a sentiment): to bear a grudge
to bring and tell (a message, tales, etc.)
to move or push as if carrying: the crowd bore us along
to give, offer, or supply: to bear witness

Origin: ME beren < OE beran < IE base *bher-, to carry, bring > L ferre, Gr pherein, Sans bharati, (he) bears

intransitive verb

to be productive: the tree bears well
1. to lie in a given direction: the lighthouse bears due east
2. to point or be aimed toward: with on or upon: artillery deployed to bear on the fort
3. to move in a given direction: bear right at the corner
to have bearing (on); have a relation: his story bears on the crime
to tolerate; put up patiently (with)
to be oppressive; weigh: grief bears heavily on her

noun pl. bears or bear

any of a family (Ursidae) of large, heavy, omnivorous carnivores that walk flat on the soles of their feet and have shaggy fur and a very short tail: bears are native to temperate and arctic zones
a person who is clumsy, rude, gruff, churlish, etc.
Origin: short for bearskin jobber < phr. to sell the bearskin, i.e., to sell the skin before the bear is caught
a person who believes prices on the stock or commodity markets are going to decline, esp. one who sells shares, etc. in the expectation of buying them later at a lower price
☆ Slang a difficult task: checking these computer files is a real bear

Origin: ME bere < OE bera < IE *bheros, brown animal < base *bher-, brown (> brown, beaver, L fiber): orig. euphemism for taboo name prob. seen in L ursus

adjective

falling in price: a bear market

Related Forms:

bearlike adjective

river flowing from the Uinta Mountains through Utah, Wyo., & Ida. into Great Salt Lake: c. 350 mi (563 km)

Origin: for the grizzly bears once abundant in the region

See bear in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb bore bore (bôr, bōr), borne borne (bôrn, bōrn) or born (bôrn), bear·ing, bears bears

verb, transitive

To hold up; support.
To carry from one place to another; transport.
To carry in the mind; harbor: bear a grudge.
To transmit at large; relate: bearing glad tidings.
To have as a visible characteristic: bore a scar on the left arm.
To have as a quality; exhibit: “A thousand different shapes it bears” (Abraham Cowley).
To carry (oneself) in a specified way; conduct: She bore herself with dignity.
To be accountable for; assume: bearing heavy responsibilities.
To have a tolerance for; endure: couldn't bear his lying.
To call for; warrant: This case bears investigation.
To give birth to: bore six children in five years.
To produce; yield: plants bearing flowers.
To offer; render: I will bear witness to the deed.
To move by or as if by steady pressure; push: “boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past” (F. Scott Fitzgerald).

verb, intransitive

To yield fruit; produce: peach trees that bear every summer.
To have relevance; apply: They studied the ways in which the relativity theory bears on the history of science.
To exert pressure, force, or influence.
a. To force oneself along; forge.
b. To endure something with tolerance and patience: Bear with me while I explain matters.
To extend or proceed in a specified direction: The road bears to the right at the bottom of the hill.

Phrasal Verbs: bear down To advance in a threatening manner: The ship bore down on our canoe. To apply maximum effort and concentration: If you really bear down, you will finish the task. bear out To prove 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.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English beren

Origin: , from Old English beran; see bher-¹ in 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.

noun

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.
A large, clumsy, or ill-mannered person.
a. One, such as an investor, that sells securities or commodities in expectation of falling prices.
b. A pessimist, especially regarding business conditions.
Slang Something that is difficult or unpleasant: The final exam was a bear.
Slang A highway patrol officer.