Word Study
wear
CIDE DICTIONARY
wear, n.
Same as Weir. [1913 Webster]
wear, v. t. [Cf. Veer.].
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. [1913 Webster]
wear, v. t. [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. "enny`nai, Skr. vas. Cf. Vest.].
- 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. [1913 Webster]"What compass will you wear your farthingale?" [1913 Webster]"On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore,
Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore." [1913 Webster] - To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or manner; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance. Shak. [1913 Webster]"His innocent gestures wear
A meaning half divine." [1913 Webster] - 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. [1913 Webster]
- To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend. [1913 Webster]"That wicked wight his days doth wear." [1913 Webster]"The waters wear the stones." [1913 Webster]
- To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a channel; to wear a hole. [1913 Webster]
- To form or shape by, or as by, attrition. [1913 Webster]"Trials wear us into a liking of what, possibly, in the first essay, displeased us." [1913 Webster]
wear, v. i.
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- 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. Milton. [1913 Webster]"Away, I say; time wears." [1913 Webster]"Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people that is with thee." [1913 Webster]"His stock of money began to wear very low." [1913 Webster]"The family . . . wore out in the earlier part of the century." [1913 Webster]
wear, n.
- The act of wearing, or the state of being worn; consumption by use; diminution by friction; as, the wear of a garment. [1913 Webster]
- The thing worn; style of dress; the fashion. [1913 Webster]"Motley 's the only wear." [1913 Webster]
- 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. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
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 to check, hinder. Garret.].
- 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. [1913 Webster]
- A fence of stakes, brushwood, or the like, set in a stream, tideway, or inlet of the sea, for taking fish. [1913 Webster]
- 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. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
wear, 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).
--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).
Idiom
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.
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.
Derivative
wearable adj. wearability n. wearer n. wearingly adv.
wear, 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).
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.
THESAURUS
wear
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, yawROGET THESAURUS
wear
Decrease
VB decrease, diminish, lessen, abridge, shrink, drop off, fall off, tail off, fall away, waste, wear, wane, ebb, decline, descend, subside, melt away, die away, retire into the shade, hide its diminished head, fall to a low ebb, run low, languish, decay, crumble, bate, abate, dequantitate, discount, depreciate, extenuate, lower, weaken, attenuate, fritter away, mitigate, dwarf, throw into the shade, reduce, shorten, subtract.Use
N use, employ, employment, exercise, exercitation, application, appliance, adhibition, disposal, consumption, agency, usufruct, usefulness, benefit, recourse, resort, avail, utilization, service, wear, usage, in use, used, well-worn, well-trodden, useful, subservient.VB use, make use of, employ, put to use, put in action, put in operation, put in practice, set in motion, set to work, ply, work, wield, handle, manipulate, play, play off, exert, exercise, practice, avail oneself of, profit by, resort to, have recourse to, recur to, take betake oneself to, take up with, take advantage of, lay one's hands on, try, render useful, mold, turn to account, turn to use, convert to use, utilize, work up, call into play, bring into play, put into requisition, call forth, draw forth, press into service, enlist into the service, bring to bear upon, devote, dedicate, consecrate, apply, adhibit, dispose of, make a handle of, make a cat's-paw of, fall back upon, make a shift with, make the most of, make the best of, use up, swallow up, consume, absorb, expend, tax, task, wear, put to task.
Clothing
VB invest, cover, envelope, lap, involve, inwrap, enwrap, wrap, fold up, wrap up, lap up, muffle up, overlap, sheath, swathe, swaddle, roll up in, circumvest, vest, clothe, array, dress, dight, drape, robe, enrobe, attire, apparel, accounter, rig, fit out, deck, perk, equip, harness, caparison, wear, don, put on, huddle on, slip on, mantle.Deviation
VB alter one's course, deviate, depart from, turn, trend, bend, curve, swerve, heel, bear off, gybe, wear, intervert, deflect, divert, divert from its course, put on a new scent, shift, shunt, draw aside, crook, warp, stray, straggle, sidle, diverge, tralineate, digress, wander, wind, twist, meander, veer, tack, divagate, sidetrack, turn aside, turn a corner, turn away from, wheel, steer clear of, ramble, rove, drift, go astray, go adrift, yaw, dodge, step aside, ease off, make way for, shy, fly off at a tangent, glance off, wheel about, face about, turn to the right about, face to the right about, waddle, go out of one's way, lose one's way.For further exploring for "wear" in Webster Dictionary Online
