I. ˈberiŋ, ˈba(a)r-, -rēŋ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English bering, from gerund of beren to bear — more at bear
1.
a. : the manner in which one bears oneself : carriage
a man of erect and soldierly bearing
b. : the manner in which one comports oneself : behavior , mien
a sedate and dignified bearing
a confident and cheerful bearing — Sheridan LeFanu
c. : pleasing, impressive, or assured carriage or mien
a man of bearing
2.
a. : the act of bringing forth young
weakened by this succession of child- bearings
an older woman past bearing
b. : the action or fact of bringing forth fruit, flowers, or other yield : crop
three bearings in a year
3. : pressure , thrust
4.
a. : an object, surface, or point that supports : supporting power : point of support
b. : the act or fact of carrying or supporting
c. : a machine part in which a journal, gudgeon, pivot, pin, or other part revolves, oscillates, or slides — see ball bearing , needle bearing , roller bearing , thrust bearing
5.
a. : a single charge in a coat of arms
the lion is a frequent heraldic bearing
b. bearings plural : coat of arms
the bearings of Scrope are: azure a bend or
6. bearings plural
a. : the widest part of a ship below plank-sheer
b. : the line of flotation of a ship when properly trimmed
7.
a. : relative situation or position : the situation of one point with respect to another or its direction from another
b. bearings plural : relative positions or directions (as in reference to the compass or to landmarks)
c. : the horizontal direction of an object or point from an observer (as on a ship or aircraft) usually measured clockwise from a reference direction and expressed in degrees from 0° to 360° : azimuth 1b — see compass bearing , magnetic bearing , relative bearing , true bearing
d. : an examination or determination of one's position or situation
let's take a bearing
e. bearings plural : comprehension or appreciation of one's position, environment, or situation : perception aiding orientation
time for a newcomer to get his bearings
to lose your bearings
f. : relation , connection : full consequence
to consider the matter in all its bearings
: relationship , influence
the question had no bearing on the outcome
g. : purport , significance
the bearing of a remark
8.
a. : the part of any member of a building that rests upon its supports
a lintel or beam with 4 inches of bearing upon the wall
b. : an unsupported span
the beam has 20 feet of bearing between its supports
9.
a. sometimes plural : the genital tract of a female domestic animal ; often : its uterus
b. bearings plural : eversion of the vagina at parturition in the ewe ; also : the everted part
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English bering, from present participle of beren to bear
1. : producing or yielding
an interest- bearing note
fruit- bearing trees
: marked by or fit for producing or yielding
a good bearing year
a bearing -age tree
2. of a structural member : supporting : withstanding a weight, thrust, or strain
a bearing partition