bear \bear\ b^ar, v. t. imp. bore b=or formerly
   bare b^ar; p. p. born b^orn, borne b=orn;
   p. pr.  vb. n. bearing. oe. beren, as. beran, beoran, to
   bear, carry, produce; akin to d. baren to bring forth, g.
   gebaumren, goth. ba'iran to bear or carry, icel. bera,
   sw. baumra, dan. baere, ohg. beran, peran, l. ferre to
   bear, carry, produce, gr. fe`rein, oslav. brati to take,
   carry, oir. berim i bear, skr. bh.r to bear. root92. cf.
   fertile.
   1. to support or sustain; to hold up.
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   2. to support and remove or carry; to convey.
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            i 'll bear your logs the while.       --shak.
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   3. to conduct; to bring; -- said of persons. obs.
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            bear them to my house.                --shak.
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   4. to possess and use, as power; to exercise.
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            every man should bear rule in his own house.
                                                  --esther i.
                                                  22.
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   5. to sustain; to have on written or inscribed, or as a
      mark, as, the tablet bears this inscription.
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   6. to possess or carry, as a mark of authority or
      distinction; to wear; as, to bear a sword, badge, or name.
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   7. to possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to
      entertain; to harbor --dryden.
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            the ancient grudge i bear him.        --shak.
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   8. to endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer.
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            should such a man, too fond to rule alone,
            bear, like the turk, no brother near the throne.
                                                  --pope.
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            i cannot bear
            the murmur of this lake to hear.      --shelley.
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            my punishment is greater than i can bear. --gen. iv.
                                                  13.
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   9. to gain or win. obs.
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            some think to bear it by speaking a great word.
                                                  --bacon.
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            she was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of
            friends and bribing of the judge.     --latimer.
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   10. to sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense,
       responsibility, etc.
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             he shall bear their iniquities.      --is. liii.
                                                  11.
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             somewhat that will bear your charges. --dryden.
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   11. to render or give; to bring forward. "your testimony
       bear" --dryden.
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   12. to carry on, or maintain; to have. "the credit of bearing
       a part in the conversation." --locke.
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   13. to admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain
       without violence, injury, or change.
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             in all criminal cases the most favorable
             interpretation should be put on words that they can
             possibly bear.                       --swift.
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   14. to manage, wield, or direct. "thus must thou thy body
       bear." --shak. hence: to behave; to conduct.
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             hath he borne himself penitently in prison? --shak.
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   15. to afford; to be to; to supply with.
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             his faithful dog shall bear him company. --pope.
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   16. to bring forth or produce; to yield; as, to bear apples;
       to bear children; to bear interest.
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             here dwelt the man divine whom samos bore.
                                                  --dryden.
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   note: in the passive form of this verb, the best modern usage
         restricts the past participle born to the sense of
         brought forth, while borne is used in the other senses
         of the word. in the active form, borne alone is used as
         the past participle.
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   to bear down.
       a to force into a lower place; to carry down; to
           depress or sink. "his nose, . . . large as were the
           others, bore them down into insignificance."
           --marryat.
       b to overthrow or crush by force; as, to bear down an
           enemy.

   to bear a hand.
       a to help; to give assistance.
       b naut. to make haste; to be quick.

   to bear in hand, to keep one up in expectation, usually
      by promises never to be realized; to amuse by false
      pretenses; to delude. obs. "how you were borne in hand,
      how crossed." --shak.

   to bear in mind, to remember.

   to bear off.
       a to restrain; to keep from approach.
       b naut. to remove to a distance; to keep clear from
           rubbing against anything; as, to bear off a blow; to
           bear off a boat.
       c to gain; to carry off, as a prize.
       d backgammon to remove from the backgammon board into
           the home when the position of the piece and the dice
           provide the proper opportunity; -- the goal of the
           game is to bear off all of one's men before the
           opponent.

   to bear one hard, to owe one a grudge. obs. "caesar
      doth bear me hard." --shak.

   to bear out.
       a to maintain and support to the end; to defend to the
           last. "company only can bear a man out in an ill
           thing." --south.
       b to corroborate; to confirm.

   to bear up, to support; to keep from falling or sinking.
      "religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings."
      --addison.
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   syn: to uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer;
        endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft.
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see also:
bore bare born borne bearing fertile 
to bear down to bear a hand to bear in hand to bear in mind to bear off 
to bear one hard to bear out to bear up