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Bear definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BEAR, v.t. pret.bore; pp. born,borne. [L. fero, pario, porto. The primary sense is to throw out, to bring forth, or in general, to thrust or drive along. ]
1. To support; to sustain; as, to bear a weight or burden.
2. To carry; to convey; to support and remove from place to place; as, "they bear him upon the shoulder;", "the eagle beareth them on her wings."
3. To wear; to bear as a mark of authority or distinction; as, to bear a sword, a badge, a name; to bear arms in a coat.
4. To keep afloat; as, the water bears a ship.
5. To support or sustain without sinking or yielding; to endure; as, a man can bear severe pain or calamity; or to sustain with proportionate strength, and without injury; as, a man may bear stronger food or drink.
6. To entertain; to carry in the mind; as, to bear a great love for a friend; to bear inveterate hatred to gaming.
7. To suffer; to undergo; as, to bear punishment.
8. To suffer without resentment, or interference to prevent; to have patience; as, to bear neglect or indignities.
9. To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain without violence,injury,or change; as, to give words the most favorable interpretation they will bear.
10. To bring forth or produce, as the fruit of plants, or the young of animals; as, to bear apples; to bear children.
11. To give birth to, or be the native place of.
Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore.
12. To possess and use as power; to exercise; as, to bear sway.
13. To gain or win.
Some think to bear it by speaking a great word. [Not now used. The phrase now used is, to bear away.]
14. To carry on, or maintain; to have; as, to bear a part in conversation.
15. To show or exhibit; to relate; as, to bear testimony or witness. This seems to imply utterance, like the Latin fero, to relate or utter.
16. To sustain the effect, or be answerable for; as, to bear the blame.
17. To sustain, as expense; to supply the means of paying; as, to bear the charges, that is, to pay the expenses.
18. To be the object of.
Let me but bear your love, and I'll bear your cares.
19. To behave; to act in any character; as,"hath he borne himself penitent?"
20. To remove, or to endure the effects of; and hence to give satisfaction for.
He shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53. Hebrews 9.
To bear the infirmities of the weak, to bear one another's burdens, is to be charitable towards their faults, to sympathize with them, and to aid them in distress.
To bear off, is to restrain; to keep from approach; and in seamanship, to remove to a distance; to keep clear from rubbing against any thing; as, to bear off a blow; to bear off a boat; also, to carry away; as, to bear off stolen goods.
To bear down, is to impel or urge; to overthrow or crush by force; as, to bear down an enemy.
To bear down upon, to press to overtake; to make all sail to come up with.
To bear hard, is to press or urge.
Cesar doth bear me hard.
To bear on, is to press against; also to carry forward, to press, incite or animate.
Confidence hath borne thee on.
To bear through, is to conduct or manage; as,"to bear through the consulship." B.Jonson. Also, to maintain or support to the end; as, religion will bear us through the evils of life.
To bear out, is to maintain and support to the end; to defend to the last.
Company only can bear a man out in an ill thing.
To bear up, to support; to keep from falling.
Religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings.
To bear up, to keep afloat.
To bear a body. A color is said to bear a body in painting, when it is capable of being ground so fine, and mixed so entirely with the oil, as to seem only a very thick oil of the same color. To bear date, is to have the mark of time when written or executed; as, a letter or bond bears date, Jan.6,1811.
To bear a price,is to have a certain price. In common mercantile language,it often signifies or implies, to bear a good or high price.
To bear in hand, to amuse with false pretenses; to deceive.
I believe this phrase is obsolete, or never used in America.
To bear a hand, in seamanship, is to make haste, be quick.
BEAR, v.i. To suffer,as with pain.
But man is born to bear.
This is unusual in prose; and though admissible,is rendered intransitive, merely by the omission of pain, or other word expressive of evil.
1. To be patient; to endure.
I cannot, cannot bear.
2. To produce, as fruit; to be fruitful, in opposition to barrenness.
This age to blossom, and the next to bear.
Here fruit must be understood.
3. To take effect; to succeed; as, to bring matters to bear.
4. To act in any character.
Instruct me how I may bear like a true friar.
5. To be situated as to the point of compass, with respect to something else; as, the land bore E,N.E. from the ship.
6. To bear away, in navigation, is to change the course of a ship, when close hauled, or sailing with a side wind, and make her run before the wind. To bear up, is used in a like sense, from the act of bearing up the helm to the windward.
Hence, perhaps, in other cases, the expression may be used to denote tending or moving from.
7. To bear down, is to drive or tend to; to approach with a fair wind; as, the fleet bore down upon the enemy.
8. To bear in, is to run or tend towards; as, a ship bears in with the land; opposed to bear off, or keeping at a greater distance.
9. To bear up, is to tend or move towards; as, to bear up to one another; also, to be supported; to have fortitude; to be firm; not to sink; as, to bear up under afflictions.
10. To bear upon, or against, is to lean
upon or against; to act on as weight or force, in any direction, as a column upon its base, or the sides of two inclining objects against each other.
11. To bear against, to approach for attack or seizure; as, "a lion bears against his prey."
12. To bear upon, to act upon; as, the artillery bore upon the center; or to be pointed or situated so as to affect; as, to bring or plant guns so as to bear upon a fort, or a ship.
13. To bear with, to endure what is unpleasing; to be indulgent; to forbear to resent, oppose, or punish.
Reason would I should bear with you. Acts 18.
Shall not God avenge his elect, though he bear long with them? Luke 18.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws
2: an investor with a pessimistic market outlook; an investor who expects prices to fall and so sells now in order to buy later at a lower price [ant: bull] v
1: have; "bear a resemblance"; "bear a signature"
2: cause to be born; "My wife had twins yesterday!" [syn: give birth, deliver, bear, birth, have]
3: put up with something or somebody unpleasant; "I cannot bear his constant criticism"; "The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks"; "he learned to tolerate the heat"; "She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage" [syn: digest, endure, stick out, stomach, bear, stand, tolerate, support, brook, abide, suffer, put up]
4: move while holding up or supporting; "Bear gifts"; "bear a heavy load"; "bear news"; "bearing orders"
5: bring forth, "The apple tree bore delicious apples this year"; "The unidentified plant bore gorgeous flowers" [syn: bear, turn out]
6: take on as one's own the expenses or debts of another person; "I'll accept the charges"; "She agreed to bear the responsibility" [syn: bear, take over, accept, assume]
7: contain or hold; have within; "The jar carries wine"; "The canteen holds fresh water"; "This can contains water" [syn: hold, bear, carry, contain]
8: bring in; "interest-bearing accounts"; "How much does this savings certificate pay annually?" [syn: yield, pay, bear]
9: have on one's person; "He wore a red ribbon"; "bear a scar" [syn: wear, bear]
10: behave in a certain manner; "She carried herself well"; "he bore himself with dignity"; "They conducted themselves well during these difficult times" [syn: behave, acquit, bear, deport, conduct, comport, carry]
11: have rightfully; of rights, titles, and offices; "She bears the title of Duchess"; "He held the governorship for almost a decade" [syn: bear, hold]
12: support or hold in a certain manner; "She holds her head high"; "He carried himself upright" [syn: hold, carry, bear]
13: be pregnant with; "She is bearing his child"; "The are expecting another child in January"; "I am carrying his child" [syn: have a bun in the oven, bear, carry, gestate, expect]

Merriam Webster's

geographical name river 350 miles (563 kilometers) N Utah, SW Wyoming, & SE Idaho flowing to Great Salt Lake

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural bears) Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English bere, from Old English bera; akin to Old English br?n brown — more at brown Date: before 12th century 1. (or pl bear) any of a family (Ursidae of the order Carnivora) of large heavy mammals of America and Eurasia that have long shaggy hair, rudimentary tails, and plantigrade feet and feed largely on fruit, plant matter, and insects as well as on flesh 2. a surly, uncouth, burly, or shambling person <a tall, friendly bear of a man> 3. [probably from the proverb about selling the bearskin before catching the bear] one that sells securities or commodities in expectation of a price decline — compare bull 4. something difficult to do or deal with <the oven is a bear to clean> • bearlike adjective II. verb (bore; borne; also born; bearing) Etymology: Middle English beren to carry, bring forth, from Old English beran; akin to Old High German beran to carry, Latin ferre, Greek pherein Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. a. to move while holding up and supporting b. to be equipped or furnished with c. behave, conduct <bearing himself well> d. to have as a feature or characteristic <bears a likeness to her grandmother> e. to give as testimony <bear false witness> f. to have as an identification <bore the name of John> g. to hold in the mind or emotions <bear malice> h. disseminate i. lead, escort j. render, give 2. a. to give birth to b. to produce as yield c. (1) to permit growth of (2) contain <oil-bearing shale> 3. a. to support the weight of ; sustain b. to accept or allow oneself to be subjected to especially without giving way <couldn't bear the pain> <I can't bear seeing you cry> c. to call for as suitable or essential <it bears watching> d. to hold above, on top, or aloft e. to admit of ; allow f. assume, accept 4. thrust, press intransitive verb 1. to produce fruit ; yield 2. a. to force one's way b. to extend in a direction indicated or implied c. to be situated ; lie d. to become directed e. to go or incline in an indicated direction 3. to support a weight or strain — often used with up 4. a. to exert influence or force b. apply, pertain — often used with on or upon <facts bearing on the question> Synonyms: bear, suffer, endure, abide, tolerate, stand mean to put up with something trying or painful. bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking <forced to bear a tragic loss>. suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing <suffering many insults>. endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties <endured years of rejection>. abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest <cannot abide their rudeness>. tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful <refused to tolerate such treatment>. stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching <unable to stand teasing>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. (past bore; past part. borne, born) Usage: In the passive born is used with reference to birth (e.g. was born in July), except for borne by foll. by the name of the mother (e.g. was borne by Sarah). 1 tr. carry, bring, or take (esp. visibly) (bear gifts). 2 tr. show; be marked by; have as an attribute or characteristic (bear marks of violence; bears no relation to the case; bore no name). 3 tr. a produce, yield (fruit etc.). b give birth to (has borne a son; was born last week). 4 tr. a sustain (a weight, responsibility, cost, etc.). b stand, endure (an ordeal, difficulty, etc.). 5 tr. (usu. with neg. or interrog.) a tolerate; put up with (can't bear him; how can you bear it?). b admit of; be fit for (does not bear thinking about). 6 tr. carry in thought or memory (bear a grudge). 7 intr. veer in a given direction (bear left). 8 tr. bring or provide (something needed) (bear him company). 9 refl. behave (in a certain way). Phrases and idioms: bear arms 1 carry weapons; serve as a soldier. 2 wear or display heraldic devices. bear away (or off) win (a prize etc.). bear down exert downward pressure. bear down on approach rapidly or purposefully. bear fruit have results. bear a hand help. bear hard on oppress. bear in mind take into account having remembered. bear on (or upon) be relevant to. bear out support or confirm (an account or the person giving it). bear repeating be worth repetition. bear up raise one's spirits; not despair. bear with treat forbearingly; tolerate patiently. bear witness testify. Etymology: OE beran f. Gmc 2. n. & v. --n. 1 any large heavy mammal of the family Ursidae, having thick fur and walking on its soles. 2 a rough, unmannerly, or uncouth person. 3 Stock Exch. a person who sells shares hoping to buy them back later at a lower price. 4 = TEDDY. 5 (the Bear) colloq. Russia. --v. Stock Exch. 1 intr. speculate for a fall in price. 2 tr. produce a fall in the price of (stocks etc.). Phrases and idioms: bear-baiting hist. an entertainment involving setting dogs to attack a captive bear. bear-hug a tight embrace. bear market Stock Exch. a market with falling prices. bear's breech a kind of acanthus, Acanthus mollis. bear's ear auricula. bear's foot a hellebore, Helleborus fetidus. the Great Bear, the Little Bear two constellations near the North Pole. like a bear with a sore head Brit. colloq. very irritable. Etymology: OE bera f. WG

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bear Bear (b[^a]r), v. t. [imp. Bore (b[=o]r) (formerly Bare (b[^a]r)); p. p. Born (b[^o]rn), Borne (b[=o]r); p. pr. & vb. n. Bearing.] [OE. beren, AS. beran, beoran, to bear, carry, produce; akin to D. baren to bring forth, G. geb["a]ren, Goth. ba['i]ran to bear or carry, Icel. bera, Sw. b["a]ra, Dan. b[ae]re, 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. [root]92. Cf. Fertile.] 1. To support or sustain; to hold up. 2. To support and remove or carry; to convey. I 'll bear your logs the while. --Shak. 3. To conduct; to bring; -- said of persons. [Obs.] Bear them to my house. --Shak. 4. To possess and use, as power; to exercise. Every man should bear rule in his own house. --Esther i. 22. 5. To sustain; to have on (written or inscribed, or as a mark), as, the tablet bears this inscription. 6. To possess or carry, as a mark of authority or distinction; to wear; as, to bear a sword, badge, or name. 7. To possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to entertain; to harbor --Dryden. The ancient grudge I bear him. --Shak. 8. To endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer. Should such a man, too fond to rule alone, Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne. --Pope. I cannot bear The murmur of this lake to hear. --Shelley. My punishment is greater than I can bear. --Gen. iv. 13. 9. To gain or win. [Obs.] Some think to bear it by speaking a great word. --Bacon. She was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of friends and bribing of the judge. --Latimer. 10. To sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense, responsibility, etc. He shall bear their iniquities. --Is. liii. 11. Somewhat that will bear your charges. --Dryden. 11. To render or give; to bring forward. ``Your testimony bear'' --Dryden. 12. To carry on, or maintain; to have. ``The credit of bearing a part in the conversation.'' --Locke. 13. To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain without violence, injury, or change. In all criminal cases the most favorable interpretation should be put on words that they can possibly bear. --Swift. 14. To manage, wield, or direct. ``Thus must thou thy body bear.'' --Shak. Hence: To behave; to conduct. Hath he borne himself penitently in prison ? --Shak. 15. To afford; to be to; to supply with. His faithful dog shall bear him company. --Pope. 16. To bring forth or produce; to yield; as, to bear apples; to bear children; to bear interest. Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore. --Dryden. 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. 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. To bear one hard, to owe one a grudge. [Obs.] ``C[ae]sar 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. Syn: To uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer; endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bear Bear, v. i. 1. To produce, as fruit; to be fruitful, in opposition to barrenness. This age to blossom, and the next to bear. --Dryden. 2. To suffer, as in carrying a burden. But man is born to bear. --Pope. 3. To endure with patience; to be patient. I can not, can not bear. --Dryden. 4. To press; -- with on or upon, or against. These men bear hard on the suspected party. --Addison. 5. To take effect; to have influence or force; as, to bring matters to bear. 6. To relate or refer; -- with on or upon; as, how does this bear on the question? 7. To have a certain meaning, intent, or effect. Her sentence bore that she should stand a certain time upon the platform. --Hawthorne. 8. To be situated, as to the point of compass, with respect to something else; as, the land bears N. by E. To bear against, to approach for attack or seizure; as, a lion bears against his prey. [Obs.] To bear away (Naut.), to change the course of a ship, and make her run before the wind. To bear back, to retreat. ``Bearing back from the blows of their sable antagonist.'' --Sir W. Scott. To bear down upon (Naut.), to approach from the windward side; as, the fleet bore down upon the enemy. To bear in with (Naut.), to run or tend toward; as, a ship bears in with the land. To bear off (Naut.), to steer away, as from land. To bear up. (a) To be supported; to have fortitude; to be firm; not to sink; as, to bear up under afflictions. (b) (Naut.) To put the helm up (or to windward) and so put the ship before the wind; to bear away. --Hamersly. To bear upon (Mil.), to be pointed or situated so as to affect; to be pointed directly against, or so as to hit (the object); as, to bring or plant guns so as to bear upon a fort or a ship; the artillery bore upon the center. To bear up to, to tend or move toward; as, to bear up to one another. To bear with, to endure; to be indulgent to; to forbear to resent, oppose, or punish.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bear Bear, n. A bier. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bear Bear, n. [OE. bere, AS. bera; akin to D. beer, OHG. bero, pero, G. b["a]r, Icel. & Sw. bj["o]rn, and possibly to L. fera wild beast, Gr. ? beast, Skr. bhalla bear.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any species of the genus Ursus, and of the closely allied genera. Bears are plantigrade Carnivora, but they live largely on fruit and insects. Note: The European brown bear (U. arctos), the white polar bear (U. maritimus), the grizzly bear (U. horribilis), the American black bear, and its variety the cinnamon bear (U. Americanus), the Syrian bear (Ursus Syriacus), and the sloth bear, are among the notable species. 2. (Zo["o]l.) An animal which has some resemblance to a bear in form or habits, but no real affinity; as, the woolly bear; ant bear; water bear; sea bear. 3. (Astron.) One of two constellations in the northern hemisphere, called respectively the Great Bear and the Lesser Bear, or Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. 4. Metaphorically: A brutal, coarse, or morose person. 5. (Stock Exchange) A person who sells stocks or securities for future delivery in expectation of a fall in the market. Note: The bears and bulls of the Stock Exchange, whose interest it is, the one to depress, and the other to raise, stocks, are said to be so called in allusion to the bear's habit of pulling down, and the bull's of tossing up. 6. (Mach.) A portable punching machine. 7. (Naut.) A block covered with coarse matting; -- used to scour the deck. Australian bear. (Zo["o]l.) See Koala. Bear baiting, the sport of baiting bears with dogs. Bear caterpillar (Zo["o]l.), the hairy larva of a moth, esp. of the genus Euprepia. Bear garden. (a) A place where bears are kept for diversion or fighting. (b) Any place where riotous conduct is common or permitted. --M. Arnold. Bear leader, one who leads about a performing bear for money; hence, a facetious term for one who takes charge of a young man on his travels.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bear Bear, v. t. (Stock Exchange) To endeavor to depress the price of, or prices in; as, to bear a railroad stock; to bear the market.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bear Bear, Bere Bere, n. [AS. bere. See Barley.] (Bot.) Barley; the six-rowed barley or the four-rowed barley, commonly the former (Hord. vulgare). [Obs. except in North of Eng. and Scot.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

I. VERB USES (bears, bearing, bore, borne) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. Please look at category 18 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword. 1. If you bear something somewhere, you carry it there or take it there. (LITERARY) They bore the oblong hardwood box into the kitchen and put it on the table. = carry VERB: V n adv/prep • -bearing ...food-bearing lorries. COMB in ADJ 2. If you bear something such as a weapon, you hold it or carry it with you. (FORMAL) ...the constitutional right to bear arms. VERB: V n • -bearing ...rifle-bearing soldiers. ...hundreds of flag-bearing marchers. COMB in ADJ 3. If one thing bears the weight of something else, it supports the weight of that thing. The ice was not thick enough to bear the weight of marching men. = support VERB: V n • -bearing ...the load-bearing joints of the body. COMB in ADJ 4. If something bears a particular mark or characteristic, it has that mark or characteristic. The houses bear the marks of bullet holes. ...note paper bearing the Presidential seal... The room bore all the signs of a violent struggle. VERB: V n, V n, V n 5. If you bear an unpleasant experience, you accept it because you are unable to do anything about it. They will have to bear the misery of living in constant fear of war... = endure VERB: V n 6. If you can't bear someone or something, you dislike them very much. I can't bear people who make judgements and label me... He can't bear to talk about it, even to me. VERB: with neg, V n/-ing, V to-inf 7. If someone bears the cost of something, they pay for it. Patients should not have to bear the costs of their own treatment. VERB: V n 8. If you bear the responsibility for something, you accept responsibility for it. If a woman makes a decision to have a child alone, she should bear that responsibility alone. = accept VERB: V n 9. If one thing bears no resemblance or no relationship to another thing, they are not at all similar. Their daily menus bore no resemblance whatsoever to what they were actually fed... For many software packages, the price bears little relation to cost. = have VERB: usu with brd-neg, V n, V n 10. When a plant or tree bears flowers, fruit, or leaves, it produces them. As the plants grow and start to bear fruit they will need a lot of water. = produce VERB: V n • -bearing ...a strong, fruit-bearing apple tree. COMB in ADJ 11. If something such as a bank account or an investment bears interest, interest is paid on it. (BUSINESS) The eight-year bond will bear annual interest of 10.5%. VERB: V n • -bearing ...interest-bearing current accounts. COMB in ADJ 12. When a woman bears a child, she gives birth to him or her. (OLD-FASHIONED) Emma bore a son called Karl... She bore him a daughter, Suzanna. VERB: V n, V n n 13. If you bear yourself in a particular way, you move or behave in that way. (LITERARY) There was elegance and simple dignity in the way he bore himself. = carry VERB: V pron-refl adv/prep 14. If you bear left or bear right when you are driving or walking along, you turn and continue in that direction. Go left onto the A107 and bear left into Seven Sisters Road. = veer VERB: V adv 15. see also bore, borne 16. 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. PHRASE: V inflects 17. 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. PHRASE: V inflects 18. to bear the brunt of: see brunt to bear fruit: see fruit to grin and bear it: see grin to bear in mind: see mind to bear witness to: see witness II. NOUN USES (bears) 1. A bear is a large, strong wild animal with thick fur and sharp claws. N-COUNT see also polar bear, teddy bear 2. 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. (BUSINESS) N-COUNT: usu pl

Easton's Bible Dictionary

a native of the mountain regions of Western Asia, frequently mentioned in Scripture. David defended his flocks against the attacks of a bear (1 Sam. 17:34-37). Bears came out of the wood and destroyed the children who mocked the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 2:24). Their habits are referred to in Isa. 59:11; Prov. 28:15; Lam. 3:10. The fury of the female bear when robbed of her young is spoken of (2 Sam. 17:8; Prov. 17:12; Hos. 13:8). In Daniel's vision of the four great monarchies, the Medo-Persian empire is represented by a bear (7:5).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bar (dobh; compare Arabic dubb): In 1Sa 17:34-37, David tells Saul how as a shepherd boy he had overcome a lion and a bear. In 2Ki 2:24 it is related that two she bears came out of the wood and tore forty-two of the children who had been mocking Elisha. All the other references to bears are figurative; compare 2Sa 17:8; Pr 17:12; 28:15; Isa 11:7; 59:11; La 3:10; Da 7:5; Ho 13:8; Am 5:19; Re 13:2. The Syrian bear, sometimes named as a distinct species, Ursus Syriacus, is better to be regarded as merely a local variety of the European and Asiatic brown bear, Ursus arctos. It still exists in small numbers in Lebanon and is fairly common in Anti-Lebanon and Hermon. It does not seem to occur now in Palestine proper, but may well have done so in Bible times. It inhabits caves in the high and rugged mountains and issues mainly at night to feed on roots and vegetables. It is fond of the chummuc or chick-pea which is sometimes planted in the upland meadows, and the fields have to be well guarded. The figurative re ferences to the bear take account of its ferocious nature, especially in the case of the she bear robbed of her whelps (2Sa 17:8; Pr 17:12; Ho 13:8). It is with this character of the bear in mind that Isaiah says (Is 11:7), "And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together."

Alfred Y. Day

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Uphold, support, sustain, hold up. 2. Carry, transport, convey, waft. 3. Possess, have, hold. 4. Endure, suffer, undergo, brook, tolerate, abide, put up with, bear with, take patiently or easily, have patience with, submit to. 5. Admit, permit, allow, admit of, be capable of. 6. Maintain, keep up, carry on. 7. Entertain, cherish, harbor. 8. Be answerable, accountable, or responsible for, be charged with. 9. Produce, yield. 10. Bring forth, give birth to. 11. Exhibit, utter, show, give. II. v. n. 1. Suffer, submit. 2. Press, push, be oppressive. 3. Be fruitful, be prolific. 4. Act, take effect, operate, work, succeed. 5. Tend, relate, refer, be pertinent, concern, affect. 6. (Naut.) Be situated (with respect to the point of compass). III. n. 1. Bruin. 2. Growler, grumbler, snarler, surly old fellow, bundle of irritability. 3. Speculator on a fall, depreciator of the market, growler down of stocks.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

One who contracts to deliver a certain quantity of sum of stock in the public funds, on a future day, and at stated price; or, in other words, sells what he has not got, like the huntsman in the fable, who sold the bear's skin before the bear was killed. As the bear sells the stock he is not possessed of, so the bull purchases what he has not money to pay for; but in case of any alteration in the price agreed on, either party pays or receives the difference. Exchange Alley.

Moby Thesaurus

Cape polecat, Tartar, abide, abide with, acquiesce, acquit, act, admit of, affect, afflict, afford, afford support, aim, allow, answer, ape, appertain, apply, assault, attend, author, avail, back, back up, bar, be confined, be equal to, be worthy of, bear a child, bear account, bear fruit, bear on, bear out, bear the market, bear up, bear upon, bear with, bear young, beget, bide, birth, blink at, bolster, bolster up, boost, bosom, bow, brace, brave, breed, bring, bring about, bring forth, bring to birth, bring to effect, bring to pass, brook, buck, bull, bull the market, bulldoze, bump, bump against, bunt, buoy up, butt, butt against, buttress, calve, carry, cast, cause, cavy, chaperon, cheer, cherish, chimp, chimpanzee, cling to, clip, companion, comport, conceive, concern, condone, conduct, confirm, connive at, consort with, convey, convoy, coon, correspond, corroborate, countenance, cradle, cram, crank, create, crosspatch, crowd, crush, crutch, cushion, defer, deliver, demean, deport, develop, dig, digest, display, dispose, do, do it, dragon, drive, drop, effect, effectuate, elbow, embosom, embrace, encourage, endure, engender, entertain, escort, establish, exhibit, experience, fabricate, farrow, fashion, father, fawn, feist, ferret, ferry, fill the bill, finance, fire-eater, fly, foal, fondle, force, form, foster, foumart, found, freight, fructify, fruit, fulfill, fund, furnish, fury, generate, gestate, get by, give birth, give birth to, give occasion to, give origin to, give rise to, give support, glutton, go, go around, go on, goad, grizzly bear, grouch, groundhog, guinea pig, hack it, hang in, hang in there, hang tough, harbor, have, have a baby, have and hold, have young, head, hear of, hedgehog, hold, hold a heading, hold on to, hold out, hold up, hothead, hotspur, hug, hump, hurtle, hustle, inaugurate, incline, indulge, influence, institute, invent, invite, involve, jab, jam, jog, joggle, jolt, jostle, just do, keep, keep afloat, keep up, kitten, labor, lamb, lead, lend support, lie in, lift, light out, litter, lug, lump, lump it, mainstay, maintain, make, make allowances for, make do, make the grade, manhandle, manipulate the market, meet, meet requirements, merit, monk, monkey, mother, mousehound, move, multiply, nudge, nurse, nurture, occasion, opossum, originate, overlook, pack, parallel, pass, pass muster, peg the market, permit, persevere, pertain, pile drive, pillow, point, poke, polecat, porcupine, possess, possum, prairie dog, press, procreate, prod, produce, prop, prop up, propagate, provoke, punch, pup, push, put up with, qualify, quill pig, quit, raccoon, raid the market, ram, ram down, rattle, reach, realize, refer, reinforce, relate, reproduce, rig the market, run, run against, satisfy, serve, serve the purpose, set, set afloat, set on foot, set out, set up, shake, shape, shore, shore up, short, short account, short interest, short seller, short side, shorts, shoulder, shove, show, sire, skunk, sorehead, spare, spare the price, spawn, squab, squash, squeeze, squish, stand, stand for, stand up, stand up to, stay, steer, stick, stick out, still, stomach, stress, stretch, strike out, submit, subsidize, substantiate, subvention, subventionize, suffer, suffice, support, survive, sustain, swallow, sweat out, take, take it, take off, take up with, tamp, tend, tend to go, throw, thrust, tie in with, tolerate, torment, torture, tote, touch, touch on, touch upon, transport, travail, treasure, treasure up, trend, try, turn, turn out, ugly customer, underbrace, undergird, undergo, underlie, underpin, underset, upbear, uphold, upkeep, verge, waft, warrant, wash sales, weasel, well afford, whelp, whipsaw, whisk, whistle-pig, wing, wink at, wish, withstand, wolverine, woodchuck, work, yean, yield, zoril