BEARING

n. 1 a person's bodily attitude or outward behaviour. 2 (foll. by on, upon) relation or relevance to (his comments have no bearing on the subject). 3 endurability (beyond bearing). 4 a part of a machine that supports a rotating or other moving part. 5 direction or position relative to a fixed point, measured esp. in degrees. 6 (in pl.) a one's position relative to one's surroundings. b awareness of this; a sense of one's orientation (get one's bearings; lose one's bearings). 7 Heraldry a device or charge. 8 = ball-bearing (see BALL(1)). bearing-rein a fixed rein from bit to saddle that forces a horse to arch its neck.