bear — a large, heavy mammal with thick fur
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a large, heavy mammal with thick fur
Pronunciation (IPA): /ber/
Example Sentences
- My friend can't bear watching horror movies, but he bears watching romantic comedies all day.
- The old bridge can bear the weight of cars but not elephants.
- She decided to bear the cost of the party because she broke the expensive vase.
bear
NOUN[/ber/]
a large, heavy mammal with thick fur
Large furry bear appears in park
The bear shows care and bread to share
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Old English 'bera' and related Germanic languages, originally meaning 'brown one' or 'the brown animal.' This term is believed to be a euphemistic substitution, as the animal's true Indo-European name was avoided due to cultural taboos around naming dangerous creatures; speakers instead used this descriptive term meaning 'brown,' which eventually became the standard word for the animal.
Breakdown
bera (brown one/brown animal) — a descriptive epithet from Proto-Germanic roots related to color, replacing an earlier tabooed animal name.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My friend can't bear watching horror movies, but he bears watching romantic comedies all day.”
“The old bridge can bear the weight of cars but not elephants.”
“She decided to bear the cost of the party because she broke the expensive vase.”
“The tree will bear delicious apples next year, unlike my jokes which bear no fruit.”
📚Related Words
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