Wear (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

verb (used with object), wore, worn, wear·ing.

to carry or have on the body or about the person as a covering, equipment, ornament, or the like: to wear a coat;to wear a saber;to wear a disguise.
to have or use on the person habitually: to wear a wig.
to bear or have in one's aspect or appearance: to wear a smile;to wear an air of triumph.
to cause (garments, linens, etc.) to deteriorate or change by wear: Hard use has worn these gloves.
to impair, deteriorate, or consume gradually by use or any continued process:Long illness had worn the bloom from her cheeks.
to waste or diminish gradually by rubbing, scraping, washing, etc.: The waves have worn these rocks.
to make (a hole, channel, way, etc.) by such action.
to bring about or cause a specified condition in (a person or thing) by use, deterioration, or gradual change: You'll wear that outfit to rags if you don't take better care of it.Years of hard labor had worn him to a shadow.
to weary; fatigue; exhaust: Toil and care soon wear the spirit.
to pass (time) gradually or tediously (usually followed by away or out): We wore the afternoon away in arguing.
to bring (a vessel) on another tack by turning until the wind is on the stern.
to gather and herd (sheep or cattle) to a pen or pasture.

verb (used without object), wore, worn, wear·ing.

to undergo gradual impairment, diminution, reduction, etc., from wear, use, attrition, or other causes (often followed by away, down, out, or off).
to retain shape, color, usefulness, value, etc., under wear, use, or any continued strain: a strong material that will wear;colors that wear well.
(of time) to pass, especially slowly or tediously (often followed by on or away): As the day wore on, we had less and less to talk about.
to have the quality of being easy or difficult to tolerate, especially after a relatively long association: It's hard to get to know him, but he wears well.
(of a vessel) to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind.
to be commonly worn; to be in fashion.

noun

the act of wearing; use, as of a garment: articles for winter wear;I've had a lot of wear out of this coat.I had to throw away the shirt after only three wears.
the state of being worn, as on the person.
clothing or other articles for wearing; especially when fashionable or appropriate for a particular function (often used in combination): travel wear;sportswear.
gradual impairment, wasting, diminution, etc., as from use: The carpet shows wear.
the quality of resisting deterioration with use; durability.

Verb Phrases

to diminish slowly or gradually or to diminish in effect; disappear: The drug began to wear off.
See entry at wear out.

Idioms

to diminish; weaken: My patience is wearing thin.
to become less appealing, interesting, tolerable, etc.: childish antics that soon wore thin.

verb wears, wearing, wore or worn

to carry or have (a garment, etc) on one's person as clothing, ornament, etc
to carry or have on one's person habitually
to have in one's aspect
to display, show, or fly
to deteriorate or cause to deteriorate by constant use or action
to produce or be produced by constant rubbing, scraping, etc
to bring or be brought to a specified condition by constant use or action
to submit to constant use or action in a specified way
to harass or weaken
(of time) to pass or be passed slowly
to accept
to change the tack of a sailing vessel, esp a square-rigger, by coming about so that the wind passes astern

noun

verb wears, wearing, wore or worn

noun

a river in NE England, rising in NW Durham and flowing southeast then northeast to the North Sea at Sunderland. Length: 105 km (65 miles)

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