bearing
    adj 1: (of a structural member) withstanding a weight or strain
           [ant: nonbearing]
    n 1: relevant relation or interconnection; "those issues have no
         bearing on our situation"
    2: the direction or path along which something moves or along
       which it lies [syn: bearing, heading, aim]
    3: dignified manner or conduct [syn: bearing, comportment,
       presence, mien]
    4: characteristic way of bearing one's body; "stood with good
       posture" [syn: carriage, bearing, posture]
    5: heraldry consisting of a design or image depicted on a shield
       [syn: charge, bearing, heraldic bearing, armorial
       bearing]
    6: a rotating support placed between moving parts to allow them
       to move easily

Bearing \Bear"ing\ (b[^a]r"[i^]ng), n.
   1. The manner in which one bears or conducts one's self;
      mien; behavior; carriage.
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            I know him by his bearing.            --Shak.
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   2. Patient endurance; suffering without complaint.
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   3. The situation of one object, with respect to another, such
      situation being supposed to have a connection with the
      object, or influence upon it, or to be influenced by it;
      hence, relation; connection.
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            But of this frame, the bearings and the ties,
            The strong connections, nice dependencies. --Pope.
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   4. Purport; meaning; intended significance; aspect.
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   5. The act, power, or time of producing or giving birth; as,
      a tree in full bearing; a tree past bearing.
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            [His mother] in travail of his bearing. --R. of
                                                  Gloucester.
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   6. (Arch.)
      (a) That part of any member of a building which rests upon
          its supports; as, a lintel or beam may have four
          inches of bearing upon the wall.
      (b) The portion of a support on which anything rests.
      (c) Improperly, the unsupported span; as, the beam has
          twenty feet of bearing between its supports.
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   7. (Mach.)
      (a) The part of an axle or shaft in contact with its
          support, collar, or boxing; the journal.
      (b) The part of the support on which a journal rests and
          rotates.
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   8. (Her.) Any single emblem or charge in an escutcheon or
      coat of arms -- commonly in the pl.
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            A carriage covered with armorial bearings.
                                                  --Thackeray.
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   9. (Naut.)
      (a) The situation of a distant object, with regard to a
          ship's position, as on the bow, on the lee quarter,
          etc.; the direction or point of the compass in which
          an object is seen; as, the bearing of the cape was W.
          N. W.
      (b) pl. The widest part of a vessel below the plank-sheer.
      (c) pl. The line of flotation of a vessel when properly
          trimmed with cargo or ballast.
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   Ball bearings. See under Ball.

   To bring one to his bearings, to bring one to his senses.
      

   To lose one's bearings, to become bewildered.

   To take bearings, to ascertain by the compass the position
      of an object; to ascertain the relation of one object or
      place to another; to ascertain one's position by reference
      to landmarks or to the compass; hence (Fig.), to ascertain
      the condition of things when one is in trouble or
      perplexity.
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   Syn: Deportment; gesture; mien; behavior; manner; carriage;
        demeanor; port; conduct; direction; relation; tendency;
        influence.
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Bear \Bear\ (b[^a]r), v. t. [imp. Bore (b[=o]r) (formerly
   Bare (b[^a]r)); p. p. Born (b[^o]rn), Borne (b[=o]rn);
   p. pr. & vb. n. Bearing.] [OE. beren, AS. beran, beoran, to
   bear, carry, produce; akin to D. baren to bring forth, G.
   geb[aum]ren, Goth. ba['i]ran to bear or carry, Icel. bera,
   Sw. b[aum]ra, Dan. b[ae]re, OHG. beran, peran, L. ferre to
   bear, carry, produce, Gr. fe`rein, OSlav. brati to take,
   carry, OIr. berim I bear, Skr. bh[.r] to bear. [root]92. Cf.
   Fertile.]
   1. To support or sustain; to hold up.
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   2. To support and remove or carry; to convey.
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            I 'll bear your logs the while.       --Shak.
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   3. To conduct; to bring; -- said of persons. [Obs.]
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            Bear them to my house.                --Shak.
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   4. To possess and use, as power; to exercise.
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            Every man should bear rule in his own house.
                                                  --Esther i.
                                                  22.
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   5. To sustain; to have on (written or inscribed, or as a
      mark), as, the tablet bears this inscription.
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   6. To possess or carry, as a mark of authority or
      distinction; to wear; as, to bear a sword, badge, or name.
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   7. To possess mentally; to carry or hold in the mind; to
      entertain; to harbor --Dryden.
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            The ancient grudge I bear him.        --Shak.
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   8. To endure; to tolerate; to undergo; to suffer.
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            Should such a man, too fond to rule alone,
            Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne.
                                                  --Pope.
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            I cannot bear
            The murmur of this lake to hear.      --Shelley.
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            My punishment is greater than I can bear. --Gen. iv.
                                                  13.
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   9. To gain or win. [Obs.]
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            Some think to bear it by speaking a great word.
                                                  --Bacon.
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            She was . . . found not guilty, through bearing of
            friends and bribing of the judge.     --Latimer.
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   10. To sustain, or be answerable for, as blame, expense,
       responsibility, etc.
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             He shall bear their iniquities.      --Is. liii.
                                                  11.
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             Somewhat that will bear your charges. --Dryden.
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   11. To render or give; to bring forward. "Your testimony
       bear" --Dryden.
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   12. To carry on, or maintain; to have. "The credit of bearing
       a part in the conversation." --Locke.
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   13. To admit or be capable of; that is, to suffer or sustain
       without violence, injury, or change.
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             In all criminal cases the most favorable
             interpretation should be put on words that they can
             possibly bear.                       --Swift.
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   14. To manage, wield, or direct. "Thus must thou thy body
       bear." --Shak. Hence: To behave; to conduct.
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             Hath he borne himself penitently in prison? --Shak.
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   15. To afford; to be to; to supply with.
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             His faithful dog shall bear him company. --Pope.
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   16. To bring forth or produce; to yield; as, to bear apples;
       to bear children; to bear interest.
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             Here dwelt the man divine whom Samos bore.
                                                  --Dryden.
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   Note: In the passive form of this verb, the best modern usage
         restricts the past participle born to the sense of
         brought forth, while borne is used in the other senses
         of the word. In the active form, borne alone is used as
         the past participle.
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   To bear down.
       (a) To force into a lower place; to carry down; to
           depress or sink. "His nose, . . . large as were the
           others, bore them down into insignificance."
           --Marryat.
       (b) To overthrow or crush by force; as, to bear down an
           enemy.

   To bear a hand.
       (a) To help; to give assistance.
       (b) (Naut.) To make haste; to be quick.

   To bear in hand, to keep (one) up in expectation, usually
      by promises never to be realized; to amuse by false
      pretenses; to delude. [Obs.] "How you were borne in hand,
      how crossed." --Shak.

   To bear in mind, to remember.

   To bear off.
       (a) To restrain; to keep from approach.
       (b) (Naut.) To remove to a distance; to keep clear from
           rubbing against anything; as, to bear off a blow; to
           bear off a boat.
       (c) To gain; to carry off, as a prize.
       (d) (Backgammon) To remove from the backgammon board into
           the home when the position of the piece and the dice
           provide the proper opportunity; -- the goal of the
           game is to bear off all of one's men before the
           opponent.

   To bear one hard, to owe one a grudge. [Obs.] "C[ae]sar
      doth bear me hard." --Shak.

   To bear out.
       (a) To maintain and support to the end; to defend to the
           last. "Company only can bear a man out in an ill
           thing." --South.
       (b) To corroborate; to confirm.

   To bear up, to support; to keep from falling or sinking.
      "Religious hope bears up the mind under sufferings."
      --Addison.
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   Syn: To uphold; sustain; maintain; support; undergo; suffer;
        endure; tolerate; carry; convey; transport; waft.
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