WEAR, v.t. pret. wore; pp. worn.

1. A dam in a river to stop and raise the water, for conducting it to a mill, or for taking fish.
2. An instrument or kind of basket work for catching fish.

1. The act of wearing; diminution by friction; as, the wear and tear of a garment.
2. The thing worn. Wear and tear, the loss by wearing, as of machinery in use.

1. To be wasted; to be diminished by attrition, by use, or by time. Thou wilt surely wear away. Exod. xviii.
2. To be tediously spent. Thus wore out night. – Milton.
3. To be consumed by slow degrees. It is better to wear out, than to rust out. To wear off, to pass away by degrees. The follies of youth wear off with age.

In navigation, to wear is to put the ship on the other tack by turning her round, stem toward the wind. – Mar. Dict.

1. To waste or impair by rubbing or attrition; to lessen or diminish by time, use or instruments. A current of water often wears a channel in limestone.
2. To carry appendant to the body, as clothes or weapons; as, to wear a coat or a robe; to wear a sword; to wear a crown. On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore. – Pope.
3. To have or exhibit an appearance; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance.
4. To affect by degrees. Trials wear us into a liking of what possibly, in the first essay, displeased us. – Locke. To wear away, to consume; to impair, diminish or destroy by gradual attrition or decay. – Dryden. To wear off, to diminish by attrition or slow decay. – South. To wear out, to consume, to render useless by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book. #2. To consume tediously; as, to wear out life in idle projects. #3. To harass; to tire. He shall wear out the saints of the Most High. Dan. vii. #4. To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in the service of his country.

1. Same as Weir.
2. To cause to go about, as a vessel, by putting the helm up, instead of alee as in tacking, so that the vessel's bow is turned away from, and her stern is presented to, the wind, and, as she turns still farther, her sails fill on the other side; to veer.
3. To carry or bear upon the person; to bear upon one's self, as an article of clothing, decoration, warfare, bondage, etc.; to have appendant to one's body; to have on; as, to wear a coat; to wear a shackle.
   
   

   What compass will you wear your farthingale? Shak.

   On her white breast a sparkling cross s(?)(?) wore,
   Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore. Pope.

4. To endure or suffer use; to last under employment; to bear the consequences of use, as waste, consumption, or attrition; as, a coat wears well or ill; - - hence, sometimes applied to character, qualifications, etc.; as, a man wears well as an acquaintance.
5. The act of wearing, or the state of being worn; consumption by use; diminution by friction; as, the wear of a garment.
6. The result of wearing or use; consumption, diminution, or impairment due to use, friction, or the like; as, the wear of this coat has been good.
7. To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or manner; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance.
   
   
   "He wears the rose of youth upon him." Shak.

   His innocent gestures wear
   A meaning half divine. Keble.

8. To be wasted, consumed, or diminished, by being used; to suffer injury, loss, or extinction by use or time; to decay, or be spent, gradually.
   
   
   "Thus wore out night." Milton.

   Away, I say; time wears. Shak.

   Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people that is with thee. Ex. xviii. 18.

   His stock of money began to wear very low. Sir W. Scott.

   The family . . . wore out in the earlier part of the century. Beaconsfield.

   To wear off, to pass away by degrees; as, the follies of youth wear off with age. -- To wear on, to pass on; as, time wears on. G. Eliot. -- To wear weary, to become weary, as by wear, long occupation, tedious employment, etc.

9. The thing worn; style of dress; the fashion.
   
   

   Motley 's the only wear. Shak.

   Wear and tear, the loss by wearing, as of machinery in use; the loss or injury to which anything is subjected by use, accident, etc.

10. To use up by carrying or having upon one's self; hence, to consume by use; to waste; to use up; as, to wear clothes rapidly.
11. To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend.
    
    

    That wicked wight his days doth wear. Spenser.

    The waters wear the stones. Job xiv. 19.

12. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a channel; to wear a hole.
13. To form or shape by, or as by, attrition.
    
    

    Trials wear us into a liking of what, possibly, in the first essay, displeased us. Locke.

    To wear away, to consume; to impair, diminish, or destroy, by gradual attrition or decay. -- To wear off, to diminish or remove by attrition or slow decay; as, to wear off the nap of cloth. -- To wear on or upon, to wear. [Obs.] "[I] weared upon my gay scarlet gites [gowns.]" Chaucer. -- To wear out. (a) To consume, or render useless, by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book. (b) To consume tediously. "To wear out miserable days." Milton. (c) To harass; to tire. "[He] shall wear out the saints of the Most High." Dan vii. 25. (d) To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in military service. -- To wear the breeches. See under Breeches. [Colloq.]