I. VERB USES
(~s, ~ing, bore, borne)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
Please look at category 18 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
If you ~ something somewhere, you carry it there or take it there. (LITERARY)
They bore the oblong hardwood box into the kitchen and put it on the table.
= carry
VERB: V n adv/prep
-~ing
...food-~ing lorries.
COMB in ADJ
2.
If you ~ something such as a weapon, you hold it or carry it with you. (FORMAL)
...the constitutional right to ~ arms.
VERB: V n
-~ing
...rifle-~ing soldiers.
...hundreds of flag-~ing marchers.
COMB in ADJ
3.
If one thing ~s the weight of something else, it supports the weight of that thing.
The ice was not thick enough to ~ the weight of marching men.
= support
VERB: V n
-~ing
...the load-~ing joints of the body.
COMB in ADJ
4.
If something ~s a particular mark or characteristic, it has that mark or characteristic.
The houses ~ the marks of bullet holes.
...note paper ~ing the Presidential seal...
The room bore all the signs of a violent struggle.
VERB: V n, V n, V n
5.
If you ~ an unpleasant experience, you accept it because you are unable to do anything about it.
They will have to ~ the misery of living in constant fear of war...
= endure
VERB: V n
6.
If you can’t ~ someone or something, you dislike them very much.
I can’t ~ people who make judgements and label me...
He can’t ~ to talk about it, even to me.
VERB: with neg, V n/-ing, V to-inf
7.
If someone ~s the cost of something, they pay for it.
Patients should not have to ~ the costs of their own treatment.
VERB: V n
8.
If you ~ the responsibility for something, you accept responsibility for it.
If a woman makes a decision to have a child alone, she should ~ that responsibility alone.
= accept
VERB: V n
9.
If one thing ~s no resemblance or no relationship to another thing, they are not at all similar.
Their daily menus bore no resemblance whatsoever to what they were actually fed...
For many software packages, the price ~s little relation to cost.
= have
VERB: usu with brd-neg, V n, V n
10.
When a plant or tree ~s flowers, fruit, or leaves, it produces them.
As the plants grow and start to ~ fruit they will need a lot of water.
= produce
VERB: V n
-~ing
...a strong, fruit-~ing apple tree.
COMB in ADJ
11.
If something such as a bank account or an investment ~s interest, interest is paid on it. (BUSINESS)
The eight-year bond will ~ annual interest of 10.5%.
VERB: V n
-~ing
...interest-~ing current accounts.
COMB in ADJ
12.
When a woman ~s a child, she gives birth to him or her. (OLD-FASHIONED)
Emma bore a son called Karl...
She bore him a daughter, Suzanna.
VERB: V n, V n n
13.
If you ~ yourself in a particular way, you move or behave in that way. (LITERARY)
There was elegance and simple dignity in the way he bore himself.
= carry
VERB: V pron-refl adv/prep
14.
If you ~ left or ~ right when you are driving or walking along, you turn and continue in that direction.
Go left onto the A107 and ~ left into Seven Sisters Road.
= veer
VERB: V adv
15.
see also bore , borne
16.
If you bring something to ~ on a situation, you use it to deal with that situation.
British scientists have brought computer science to ~ on this problem.
PHRASE: V inflects
17.
If you bring pressure or influence to ~ on someone, you use it to try and persuade them to do something.
His companions brought pressure to ~ on him, urging him to stop wasting money.
PHRASE: V inflects
18.
to ~ the brunt of: see brunt
to ~ fruit: see fruit
to grin and ~ it: see grin
to ~ in mind: see mind
to ~ witness to: see witness
II. NOUN USES
(~s)
1.
A ~ is a large, strong wild animal with thick fur and sharp claws.
N-COUNT
see also polar ~ , teddy ~
2.
On the stock market, ~s are people who sell shares in expectation of a drop in price, in order to make a profit by buying them back again after a short time. Compare bull . (BUSINESS)
N-COUNT: usu pl