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
Pronunciation : war, wer
Function : verb
Date : before 12th century
1. clothing of a particular kind (i.e. sportswear, eveningwear); erosion, corrosion; effect of using, gradual impairment and wasting from use; resistance against wearing out. be dressed in (clothes, shoes, jewelry, glasses, etc.); lose quality gradually; be used up; end; be preserved, remain intact. wearand tear decrease in value of an asset due to obsolescence or use [syn: depreciation]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...see:
wearwear and tear. see:
under wear, n...see:
tear.
2. Same as Weir.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or manner; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance.
6. 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.
7. To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend.
8. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a channel; to wear a hole.
9. To form or shape by, or as by, attrition.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. The act of wearing, or the state of being worn; consumption by use; diminution by friction; as, the wear of a garment.
13. The thing worn; style of dress; the fashion.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. A fence of stakes, brushwood, or the like, set in a stream, tideway, or inlet of the sea, for taking fish.
17. 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. the act of having on your person as a covering or adornment; "she bought it for everyday wear" impairment resulting from long use; "the tires showed uneven wear" have or show an appearance of; "wear one's hair in a certain way" have on one's person; "He wore a red ribbon"; "bear a scar" 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" be dressed in; "She was wearing yellow that day" deteriorate through use or stress; "The constant friction wore out the cloth" last and be usable; "This dress wore well for almost ten years" have in one's aspect; wear an expression of one's attitude or personality; "He always wears a smile".
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. 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.
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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. She may give the impression that she wears the trousers but it's Tim who makes the final decisions.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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. He arrived on January 9, disheveled and much the worse for wear.