bearing
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bearing¹
- /ˈbɛə̯ɹɪŋ/ UK
- /ˈbɛɹɪŋ/ US
Rhymes with -ɛəɹɪŋ, -ɪŋ
Where it comes from
From Middle English beringe, berynge, berende, berande, berand, from Old English berende (“bearing; fruitful”) (also as synonym Old English bǣrende), from Proto-Germanic *berandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *beraną (“to bear; carry”), equivalent to bear + -ing.
verb
- present participle and gerund of bear
adjective
- That bears (some specified thing). a gift-bearing visitor
- Of a beam, column, or other device, carrying weight or load. That's a bearing wall.
bearing²
- /ˈbɛə̯ɹɪŋ/ UK
- /ˈbɛɹɪŋ/ US
Rhymes with -ɛəɹɪŋ, -ɪŋ
Where it comes from
From Middle English bering, beringe, berynge, equivalent to bear + -ing.
noun bearings
- A mechanical device that supports another part or reduces friction. The smaller 1/4" shank version features a bearing at the top edge to limit depth of cut, making it especially useful for curved glue joints.
- The horizontal angle between the direction of an object and another object, or between it and that of true north; a heading or direction. This volume would have been at least twice as large, if I had not made bold to strike out innumerable passages relating to the winds and tides, as well as to the variations and bearings in the several voyages, together with the minute descriptions of the management of the ship in storms, in the styl
- One's understanding of one's orientation or relative position, literally or figuratively. Do we go left here or straight on? Hold on, let me just get my bearings.
- Relevance; a relationship or connection. That has no bearing on this issue.
- One's posture, demeanor, or manner. She walks with a confident, self-assured bearing.
- That part of any member of a building which rests upon its supports. A lintel or beam may have four inches of bearing upon the wall.
- The portion of a support on which anything rests.
- The unsupported span. The beam has twenty feet of bearing between its supports.
- Any single emblem or charge in an escutcheon or coat of arms. Holonyms: shield, escutcheon
