bear

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /bɛə/, SAMPA: /bE@/
• (US) IPA: /bɛɚ/, SAMPA: /bE@r/

• Audio (US)

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Homophones

• bare

Noun

Singular bear

Plural bears

1. A bear is a big animal with a short tail. They either eat only meat or meat and plants. There are many different types of bears, for example brown bears and polar bears.

   Polar bears are white.

   Grizzly bears live in North America.

• 

  A brown bear

• 

  A polar bear

Verb

Plain form bear

Third person singular bears

Simple past bore

Past participle born or borne

Present participle bearing

1. (transitive) If $x$ bears $y$, $x$ holds $y$ up.

   This wall bears half the weight of the roof.

   The chieftain bears a spear.

2. (transitive) If someone bears something bad, they accept it or deal with it.

   He has to bear insults because of his appearance.

   I cannot bear looking at the news.

   The pain is so bad, I can hardly bear it.

3. (transitive) (usually passive) If a baby is born, it comes out of its mother.

   The woman bore a little boy.

   He was born on October 22, 1983.

4. (transitive) (usually passive) If something is born, it is newly created.

   This idea was born out of boredom.

5. (transitive) If something bears fruit, flowers, etc., it grows them.

   This apple tree is 100 years old, it does not bear apples anymore.

6. (transitive) If $x$ bears $y$, $x$ holds $y$ on the surface.

   Peter bears a small scar on his forehead.

   The flag bore a white lion.

   The sign bears the words "Hey there!".

Synonyms

have take show bring move hold

create support stand allow develop produce

carry accept assume present suffer

Related words

• bearing
• bearable
• unbearable
• reborn
• unborn
• borne
• bearer
• unbearably
• bearably