wear

Meaning

Verb

1. To have on:
2. To have on:
3. To have on:
4. To erode:
5. To erode:
6. To erode:
7. (colloquial) To erode:
8. (colloquial) To endure:
9. To endure:
10. To endure:
11. To bring (a sailing vessel) onto the other tack by bringing the wind around the stern (as opposed to tacking when the wind is brought around the bow); to come round on another tack by turning away from the wind.

Noun

1. Clothing.
2. Damage to the appearance and/or strength of an item caused by use over time.
3. Fashion.
4. Wearing.

Noun

Dated form of weir.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/wɛə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From Middle English weren, werien, from Old English werian (“to clothe, cover over; put on, wear, use; stock (land)”), from Proto-West Germanic *waʀjan, from Proto-Germanic *wazjaną (“to clothe”), from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“to dress, put on (clothes)”).
Cognate to Sanskrit वस्ते (váste), Ancient Greek ἕννυμι (hénnumi, “put on”), Latin vestis (“garment”) (English vest), Albanian vesh (“dress up, wear”), Tocharian B wäs-, Old Armenian զգենում (zgenum), Welsh gwisgo, Hittite 𒉿𒀸- (waš-).
Originally a weak verb (i.e. with a past tense in -ed), it became irregular during the Middle English period by analogy with verbs like beren (whence bear) and teren (whence tear).