Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.]

Source : WordNet®

bear
     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}]
     [also: {borne}, {born}, {bore}]

bear
     v 1: have; "bear a resemblance"; "bear a signature"
     2: give birth (to a newborn); "My wife had twins yesterday!"
        [syn: {give birth}, {deliver}, {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},
         {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: {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: {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}, {carry}, {contain}]
     8: bring in; "interest-bearing accounts"; "How much does this
        savings certificate pay annually?" [syn: {yield}, {pay}]
     9: have on one's person; "He wore a red ribbon"; "bear a scar"
        [syn: {wear}]
     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},
          {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: {hold}]
     12: support or hold in a certain manner; "She holds her head
         high"; "He carried himself upright" [syn: {hold}, {carry}]
     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}, {carry}, {gestate},
          {expect}]
     [also: {borne}, {born}, {bore}]