Adjacent Words

Wear definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

WEAR, v.t. pret. wore; pp. worn.
1. To waste or impair by rubbing or attrition; to lessen or diminish by time, use or instruments. A current of water often wears a channel in limestone.
2. To carry appendant to the body, as clothes or weapons; as, to wear a coat or a robe; to wear a sword; to wear a crown.
On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore.
3. To have or exhibit an appearance; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance.
4. To affect by degrees.
Trials wear us into a liking of what possible, in the first essay, displeased us.
To wear away, to consume; to impair, diminish or destroy by gradual attrition or decay.
To wear off, to diminish by attrition or slow decay.
To wear out,
1. To consume; to render useless by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book.
2. To consume tediously; as, to wear out life in idle projects.
3. To harass; to tire.
He shall wear out the saints of the Most High. Daniel 7.
4. To waste the strength of; as an old amn worn out in the service of his country.
WEAR, v.i.
1. To be wasted; to be diminished by attrition, by use, or by time.
Thou wilt surely wear away. Exodus 18.
2. To be tediously spent.
Thus wore out night.
3. To be consumed by slow degrees. It is better to wear out, than to rust out.
To wear off, to pass away by degrees. The follies of youth wear off with age.
WEAR, n.
1. The act of wearing; diminution by friction; as the wear and tear of a garment.
2. The thing worn.
WEAR, n. [See Warren and Guard.]
1. A dam in a river to stop and raise the water, for conducting it to a mill, or for taking fish.
2. An instrument or kind of basket work for catching fish.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: impairment resulting from long use; "the tires showed uneven wear"
2: a covering designed to be worn on a person's body [syn: clothing, article of clothing, vesture, wear, wearable, habiliment]
3: the act of having on your person as a covering or adornment; "she bought it for everyday wear" [syn: wear, wearing] v
1: be dressed in; "She was wearing yellow that day" [syn: wear, have on]
2: have on one's person; "He wore a red ribbon"; "bear a scar" [syn: wear, bear]
3: have in one's aspect; wear an expression of one's attitude or personality; "He always wears a smile"
4: deteriorate through use or stress; "The constant friction wore out the cloth" [syn: wear, wear off, wear out, wear down, wear thin]
5: have or show an appearance of; "wear one's hair in a certain way"
6: last and be usable; "This dress wore well for almost ten years" [syn: wear, hold out, endure]
7: go to pieces; "The lawn mower finally broke"; "The gears wore out"; "The old chair finally fell apart completely" [syn: break, wear, wear out, bust, fall apart]
8: exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress; "We wore ourselves out on this hike" [syn: tire, wear upon, tire out, wear, weary, jade, wear out, outwear, wear down, fag out, fag, fatigue] [ant: freshen, refresh, refreshen]
9: put clothing on one's body; "What should I wear today?"; "He put on his best suit for the wedding"; "The princess donned a long blue dress"; "The queen assumed the stately robes"; "He got into his jeans" [syn: wear, put on, get into, don, assume]

Merriam Webster's

geographical name river 67 miles (108 kilometers) N England flowing into North Sea at Sunderland

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (wore; worn; wearing) Etymology: Middle English weren, from Old English werian; akin to Old Norse verja to clothe, invest, spend, Latin vestis clothing, garment, Greek hennynai to clothe Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. to bear or have on the person <wore a coat> 2. a. to use habitually for clothing, adornment, or assistance <wears a size 10> <wear glasses> b. to carry on the person <wear a sword> 3. a. to hold the rank or dignity or position signified by (an ornament) <wear the royal crown> b. exhibit, present <wore a happy smile> <commend the book for wearing its research so lightly — Brad Leithauser> c. to show or fly (a flag or colors) on a ship 4. a. to cause to deteriorate by use b. to impair or diminish by use or attrition ; consume or waste gradually <letters on the stone worn away by weathering> 5. to produce gradually by friction or attrition <wear a hole in the rug> 6. to exhaust or lessen the strength of ; weary, fatigue 7. to cause (a ship) to go about with the stern presented to the wind 8. British to accept or tolerate without complaint ; put up with — usually used in negative constructions <your mates wouldn't wear it — Colin MacInnes> 9. take on 3a intransitive verb 1. a. to endure use ; last under use or the passage of time <material that will wear for years> b. to retain quality or vitality <the classics wear well> 2. a. to diminish or decay through use <the heels of his shoes began to wear> b. to diminish or fail with the passage of time <the effect of the drug wore off> <the day wore on> c. to grow or become by attrition or use <the blade wore dull> 3. of a ship to change to an opposite tack by turning the stern to the wind — compare tack • wearer noun II. noun Date: 15th century 1. the act of wearing ; the state of being worn ; use <clothes for everyday wear> 2. a. clothing or an article of clothing usually of a particular kind; especially clothing worn for a special occasion or popular during a specific period b. fashion, vogue 3. wearing quality ; durability under use 4. the result of wearing or use ; diminution or impairment due to use <wear-resistant surface>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v. (past wore; past part. worn) 1 tr. have on one's person as clothing or an ornament etc. (is wearing shorts; wears earrings). 2 tr. be dressed habitually in (wears green). 3 tr. exhibit or present (a facial expression or appearance) (wore a frown; the day wore a different aspect). 4 tr. Brit. colloq. (usu. with neg.) tolerate, accept (they won't wear that excuse). 5 (often foll. by away) a tr. injure the surface of, or partly obliterate or alter, by rubbing, stress, or use. b intr. undergo such injury or change. 6 tr. & intr. (foll. by off, away) rub or be rubbed off. 7 tr. make (a hole etc.) by constant rubbing or dripping etc. 8 tr. & intr. (often foll. by out) exhaust, tire or be tired. 9 tr. (foll. by down) overcome by persistence. 10 intr. a remain for a specified time in working order or a presentable state; last long. b (foll. by well, badly, etc.) endure continued use or life. 11 a intr. (of time) pass, esp. tediously. b tr. pass (time) gradually away. 12 tr. (of a ship) fly (a flag). --n. 1 the act of wearing or the state of being worn (suitable for informal wear). 2 things worn; fashionable or suitable clothing (sportswear; footwear). 3 (in full wear and tear) damage sustained from continuous use. 4 the capacity for resisting wear and tear (still a great deal of wear left in it). Phrases and idioms: in wear being regularly worn. wear one's heart on one's sleeve see HEART. wear off lose effectiveness or intensity. wear out 1 use or be used until no longer usable. 2 tire or be tired out. wear thin (of patience, excuses, etc.) begin to fail. wear the trousers see TROUSERS. wear (or wear one's years) well colloq. remain young-looking. Derivatives: wearable adj. wearability n. wearer n. wearingly adv. Etymology: OE werian f. Gmc 2. v. (past and past part. wore) 1 tr. bring (a ship) about by turning its head away from the wind. 2 intr. (of a ship) come about in this way (cf. TACK(1) v. 4). Etymology: 17th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Weir Weir (w[=e]r), Wear Wear,n. [OE. wer, AS. wer; akin to G. wehr, AS. werian to defend, protect, hinder, G. wehren, Goth. warjan; and perhaps to E. wary; or cf. Skr. v[.r] to check, hinder. [root]142. Cf. Garret.] 1. A dam in a river to stop and raise the water, for the purpose of conducting it to a mill, forming a fish pond, or the like. 2. A fence of stakes, brushwood, or the like, set in a stream, tideway, or inlet of the sea, for taking fish. 3. A long notch with a horizontal edge, as in the top of a vertical plate or plank, through which water flows, -- used in measuring the quantity of flowing water.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wear Wear, v. i. 1. To endure or suffer use; to last under employment; to bear the consequences of use, as waste, consumption, or attrition; as, a coat wears well or ill; -- hence, sometimes applied to character, qualifications, etc.; as, a man wears well as an acquaintance. 2. To be wasted, consumed, or diminished, by being used; to suffer injury, loss, or extinction by use or time; to decay, or be spent, gradually. ``Thus wore out night.'' --Milton. Away, I say; time wears. --Shak. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people that is with thee. --Ex. xviii. 18. His stock of money began to wear very low. --Sir W. Scott. The family . . . wore out in the earlier part of the century. --Beaconsfield. To wear off, to pass away by degrees; as, the follies of youth wear off with age. To wear on, to pass on; as, time wears on. --G. Eliot. To wear weary, to become weary, as by wear, long occupation, tedious employment, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wear Wear (?; 277), n. Same as Weir.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wear Wear, v. t. [Cf. Veer.] (Naut.) To cause to go about, as a vessel, by putting the helm up, instead of alee as in tacking, so that the vessel's bow is turned away from, and her stern is presented to, the wind, and, as she turns still farther, her sails fill on the other side; to veer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wear Wear, v. t. [imp. Wore; p. p. Worn; p. pr. & vb. n. Wearing. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being Weared.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin to OHG. werien, weren, to clothe, Goth. wasjan, L. vestis clothing, vestire to clothe, Gr. ?, Skr. vas. Cf. Vest.] 1. To carry or bear upon the person; to bear upon one's self, as an article of clothing, decoration, warfare, bondage, etc.; to have appendant to one's body; to have on; as, to wear a coat; to wear a shackle. What compass will you wear your farthingale? --Shak. On her white breast a sparkling cross s?? wore, Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore. --Pope. 2. To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or manner; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance. ``He wears the rose of youth upon him.'' --Shak. His innocent gestures wear A meaning half divine. --Keble. 3. To use up by carrying or having upon one's self; hence, to consume by use; to waste; to use up; as, to wear clothes rapidly. 4. To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend. That wicked wight his days doth wear. --Spenser. The waters wear the stones. --Job xiv. 19. 5. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a channel; to wear a hole. 6. To form or shape by, or as by, attrition. Trials wear us into a liking of what, possibly, in the first essay, displeased us. --Locke. To wear away, to consume; to impair, diminish, or destroy, by gradual attrition or decay. To wear off, to diminish or remove by attrition or slow decay; as, to wear off the nap of cloth. To wear on or upon, to wear. [Obs.] ``[I] weared upon my gay scarlet gites [gowns.]'' --Chaucer. To wear out. (a) To consume, or render useless, by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book. (b) To consume tediously. ``To wear out miserable days.'' --Milton. (c) To harass; to tire. ``[He] shall wear out the saints of the Most High.'' --Dan vii. 25. (d) To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in military service. To wear the breeches. See under Breeches. [Colloq.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wear Wear, n. 1. The act of wearing, or the state of being worn; consumption by use; diminution by friction; as, the wear of a garment. 2. The thing worn; style of dress; the fashion. Motley 's the only wear. --Shak. Wear and tear, the loss by wearing, as of machinery in use; the loss or injury to which anything is subjected by use, accident, etc.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Wear Wear, n. The result of wearing or use; consumption, diminution, or impairment due to use, friction, or the like; as, the wear of this coat has been good.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(wears, wearing, wore, worn) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. When you wear something such as clothes, shoes, or jewellery, you have them on your body or on part of your body. He was wearing a brown uniform... I sometimes wear contact lenses... She can't make her mind up what to wear. VERB: V n, V n, V n 2. If you wear your hair or beard in a particular way, you have it cut or styled in that way. She wore her hair in a long braid... He wore a full moustache. VERB: V n prep/adv, V n 3. If you wear a particular expression, that expression is on your face and shows the emotions that you are feeling. When we drove through the gates, she wore a look of amazement... VERB: V n 4. You use wear to refer to clothes that are suitable for a certain time or place. For example, evening wear is clothes suitable for the evening. The shop stocks an extensive range of beach wear... N-UNCOUNT: supp N 5. Wear is the amount or type of use that something has over a period of time. You'll get more wear out of a hat if you choose one in a neutral colour... = use N-UNCOUNT 6. Wear is the damage or change that is caused by something being used a lot or for a long time. ...a large, well-upholstered armchair which showed signs of wear. N-UNCOUNT 7. If something wears, it becomes thinner or weaker because it is constantly being used over a long period of time. The stone steps, dating back to 1855, are beginning to wear... Your horse needs new shoes if the shoe has worn thin or smooth. VERB: V, V adj 8. You can use wear to talk about how well something lasts over a period of time. For example, if something wears well, it still seems quite new or useful after a long time or a lot of use. Ten years on, the original concept was wearing well. VERB: V adv 9. If one person in a couple, especially the woman, wears the pants, or in British English wears the trousers, they are the one who makes all the decisions. (INFORMAL) She may give the impression that she wears the trousers but it's Tim who makes the final decisions. PHRASE: V inflects 10. If your patience or temper is wearing thin, you are becoming annoyed and are likely to get angry soon. Her husband was sympathetic at first but his patience soon wore thin. PHRASE: V inflects, usu cont 11. If you say that something is wearing thin, you mean that people do not find it funny or interesting any more and are becoming annoyed with it, because they have seen or heard it so many times. Some of Wilson's eccentricities are beginning to wear thin. PHRASE: V inflects, usu cont 12. If you say that someone is the worse for wear, you mean that they are tired, ill, or in a bad state because they have been very active, been through a difficult experience, or been drinking alcohol. (INFORMAL) He arrived on January 9, disheveled and much the worse for wear. PHRASE: v-link PHR

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Carry (upon the person), bear, have on. 2. Bear, have an appearance of, exhibit in appearance. 3. Use up by having upon one. 4. Impair (by use), waste, consume by use, use up, wear away, wear out. 5. Impair, waste, diminish, consume gradually, spend, cause to disappear. 6. Cause by friction, occasion by wasting. 7. Affect by degrees, bring about gradually. 8. (Naut.) [Written also Ware.] Veer. II. v. n. 1. Be wasted, wear away. 2. Endure use, last under employment. 3. Suffer injury by use, be wasted, be consumed, be diminished by use. 4. Be tediously spent, be consumed by slow degrees.

Moby Thesaurus

abate, abide, ablate, ablation, about ship, abrade, abrase, abrasion, abrasive, act a part, affect, apparel, array, assume, atomization, attire, attrition, back and fill, bark, bate, be dressed in, be eaten away, be infinitely repetitive, be tedious, bear away, bear off, bear to starboard, beat, beat about, bedizenment, bide, box off, break, breakup, bring about, bring round, buffing, burn out, burnishing, cant, cant round, carry on, cast, cast about, chafe, chafing, change course, change the heading, clothes, clothing, come about, consume, consume away, continue, continue to be, corrode, corrosion, costume, counterfeit, crumble, crumbling, debilitate, decay, decline, decomposition, decrease, defeat time, defy time, degradation, deliquesce, deplete, depreciate, detrition, die away, dilapidation, diminish, disintegration, disjunction, disorganization, dissipate, dissolution, dive, do a bit, do in, do up, double a point, drag on, drain, dramatize, drapery, dress, dressing, dribble away, drop, drop off, duds, dwell, dwindle, ebb, endure, enervate, erase, erasure, erode, erosion, exhaust, exist, extend, fag, fag out, fake, fall, fall away, fall off, fashion, fatigue, fatigues, feathers, feign, fetch about, fig, file, filing, flag, fray, frazzle, fret, fretting, gall, galling, garb, garments, gear, glut, gnaw, gnaw away, go about, go on, go on forever, grate, graze, grazing, grind, grinding, guise, gybe, habiliment, habit, harass, have on, heave round, histrionize, hold, hold on, hold out, incoherence, investiture, investment, irk, jade, jibe, jibe all standing, keep, keep on, knock out, knock up, languish, last, last long, last out, lessen, let up, limation, linen, live, live on, live through, maintain, make out like, melt away, miss stays, overact, overfatigue, overstrain, overtire, overweary, pall, perdure, perennate, persist, play, play a part, play a scene, playact, plummet, plunge, ply, polishing, poop, poop out, pretend, prevail, prostrate, put about, put back, put on, put on airs, rags, raiment, rasp, rasping, ravages of time, raze, remain, resolution, robes, round a point, rub away, rub off, rub out, rubbing away, run, run low, run on, sag, sandblasting, sanding, satiate, scour, scouring, scrape, scraping, scratch, scratching, scrub, scrubbing, scuff, sham, sheer, shift, shining, shrink, simulate, sink, skin, slew, smoothing, sport, sportswear, squander, stand, stay, stay on, style, subside, subsist, survive, sustain, swerve, swing round, swing the stern, tack, tail off, tarry, tatter, threads, throw about, tide over, tire, tire out, tire to death, togs, toilette, trim, turn, turn back, use, use up, veer, vestment, vesture, wane, waste, waste away, weaken, wear and tear, wear away, wear down, wear off, wear on, wear out, wear ragged, wear ship, wear well, wearing apparel, wearing away, weary, weather, weathering, wilt, wind, yaw