I. ˈgir noun
Etymology: Middle English gere, from Old Norse gervi, gǫrvi; akin to Old English gearwe equipment, clothing, gearu ready — more at yare
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : clothing , garments
b. : movable property : goods
2. : equipment , paraphernalia
fishing gear
3.
a. : the rigging of a ship or boat
b. : the harness especially of horses
4. dialect chiefly British : absurd talk : nonsense
5. dialect chiefly British : doings
6.
a.
(1) : a mechanism that performs a specific function in a complete machine
steering gear
(2) : a toothed wheel
(3) : working relation, position, order, or adjustment
got her career in gear
(4) : a level or pace of functioning
kicked their performance into high gear
b. : one of two or more adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine mechanical advantage, relative speed, and direction of travel
• gear·less -ləs adjective
[
G gear 6a(2)
]
II. verb
Date: 1851
transitive verb
1.
a. : to provide (as machinery) with gearing
b. : to connect by gearing
2.
a. : to make ready for effective operation
b. : to adjust so as to match, blend with, or satisfy something
gear ing wages to productivity
intransitive verb
1.
a. British , of machinery : to be in gear : mesh
b. : shift 1c
gear down
2. : to become adjusted so as to match, blend, or harmonize