See Also: WEAR(law)
wear(dictionary)
wear(2)(dictionary)
wear(1)(dictionary)
wear(medicine)
occlusal wear(medicine)
Tyne and Wear(tourism)
wear 2, noun(dictionary)
wear 1, verb(dictionary)
ready-to-wear(dictionary)

wear(2) (iou)



wear verb1. .
[Old English werian = Old Saxon werian, Old High German werien, Old Norse verja, Gothic wasjan clothe, from Germanic and Indo-European base repr. also by Old Norse vest cloak, Latin vestis clothing.]
I. Bear, carry.
a. verb trans. Carry or bear on (a part of) the body for protection, warmth, decoration, etc.; be dressed in; have on. Formerly also foll. by on, upon. OE.
G. Vidal He wore the frock coat and striped trousers of an earlier time. New Yorker I never wear scent.
b. verb trans. Be dressed habitually in; in pass., be generally or habitually worn. ME.
V. Woolf We wore..a great many petticoats then. E. Bowen Waistcoats of plush were worn.
c. verb intrans. Dress; be dressed. rare. ME-L16.
verb trans. Bear or carry about; fig. carry in one's mind, memory, etc. Also, display or fly (a flag etc.). OE.
Shakespeare Macbeth I shame To wear a heart so white.
verb trans. transf. Bear (one's own hair, beard, etc.); allow (one's hair or beard) to grow to a specified length; arrange (one's hair) in a specified style. OE.
T. Hardy The equestrian wore a grizzled beard. A. Tyler You're wearing your hair a little fuller.
b. gen. Bear or possess as a part of the body. E16.
Thackeray Steyne wore the scar to his dying day.
verb trans. Exhibit, present, (a facial expression, appearance, etc.). E17.
H. Roth His face wore an expression of grim aloofness.
verb trans. Tolerate, accept; agree to. Usu. in neg. contexts. colloq. E20.
J. Webster Don't impose your ideas about marriage..on her. She won't wear it.
II. Waste (away), decay.
verb trans. & intrans. (Cause to) diminish in strength, effectiveness, or intensity; (cause to) fade or disappear gradually over time. Usu. foll. by away, off, out, etc. ME.
G. Greene He fixed pictures in our minds that thirty years have been unable to wear away. P. P. Read The effects of the wine had worn off.
verb trans. Impair the surface of or obliterate gradually by friction, use, attrition, etc. (also foll. by away, down, out); rub off gradually. Also, bring into a specified state by this action. See also wear out below. LME.
J. Steinbeck The limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it. W. Trevor We're deprived of grass..due to footsteps wearing it down.
verb intrans. Become impaired or decay gradually from friction, use, attrition, etc. (also foll. by away, down, out); (foll. by off) rub off gradually, fig. lose effectiveness or intensity. Also, be brought into a specified state by this action. See also wear out below. LME.
W. Reade The gilt beginning to wear off.
verb trans. Sap the strength of, tire, fatigue, exhaust (also foll. by away, out) (freq. as wearing ppl adjective); (foll. by down) overcome by persistence. E16.
A. Lurie Being both delicate and conscientious, she would wear herself out. W. Raeper The wintry chills..began to wear down his health.
b. verb intrans. Foll. by on or upon: affect adversely, weigh on. M19.
M. Piercy The New England winter had begun to wear on her.
verb trans. Form or produce by friction, use, or attrition. L16.
F. Warner Soft napkins For the wounds your chains have worn.
III. Move, pass.
a. verb intrans. Proceed, advance, esp. slowly or gradually. Chiefly Scot. LME.
b. verb trans. Travel over. rare. poet. L16.
c. verb trans. Lead (sheep or cattle) gradually into an enclosure. Also foll. by in, up. Scot. E18.
a. verb intrans. Of (a period of) time: pass, esp. tediously; pass on or away (see also wear on below). Freq. (poet.) as worn ppl adjective. LME.
R. Campbell As the grim night wore, The fury of the tempest grew more blind. C. Chaplin As the afternoon wore on, I began to miss them.
b. verb trans. Spend or pass (time). Also foll. by away, out. Chiefly poet. M16.
verb trans. & intrans. (Cause to) pass gradually into (a state or condition). M16.
D. Madden Autumn wore into winter.
verb intrans. Remain in a specified condition over time; retain pristine condition, popularity, youthful appearance, etc., to a specified degree. M16.
G. Charles He had been so handsome...But how many men about this age..had worn infinitely better. Nature Re-reading the books, I find they don't wear at all well.
Phrases: wear a crown, wear the purple hold the office of sovereign, emperor, etc. wear motley: see MOTLEY noun 3. wear on be prolonged or continued. wear one's arm in a sling support one's arm in a sling when injured. wear one's heart on one's sleeve: see HEART noun. wear one's hat: see HAT noun. wear one's years well, wear well remain young-looking. wear out (a) use or be used until no longer usable; (b) tire or be tired out. wear the breeches = wear the trousers below. wear the horn(s) be a cuckold. wear the pants N. Amer. = wear the trousers below. wear the PETTICOAT. wear the purple: see wear a crown above. wear the trousers be the dominant member of a couple, household, etc. wear the willow: see WILLOW noun 1c. wear thin fig. (of patience etc.) begin to fail. wear two hats: see HAT noun. wear well: see wear one's years well above. wear willow: see WILLOW noun 1c. wear yellow hose be jealous. win and wear arch. win and enjoy as a possession.
Comb.: wear-out (rare) destruction or damage from use.
wearer noun (a) a person who wears a specified garment etc.; (b) rare a thing which wears away a surface etc.: LME.