Dear vs Wear - What's the difference?
dear | wear |
Loved; lovable.
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*:So this was my future home, I thought!Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.
Loving, affectionate, heartfelt
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Precious to or greatly valued by someone.
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High in price; expensive.
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A formal way to start (possibly after my ) addressing somebody at the beginning of a letter, memo etc.
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A formal way to start (often after my ) addressing somebody one likes or regards kindly.
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*, chapter=7
, title= An ironic way to start (often after my ) addressing an inferior.
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(lb) Noble.
A very kind, loving person.
A beloved person
(obsolete) dearly; at a high price
* Shakespeare
To guard; watch; keep watch, especially from entry or invasion.
To defend; protect.
To ward off; prevent from approaching or entering; drive off; repel.
To conduct or guide with care or caution, as into a fold or place of safety.
To carry or have equipped on or about one's body, as an item of clothing, equipment, decoration, etc.
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*:It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street. He wore shepherd's plaid trousers and the swallow-tail coat of the day, with a figured muslin cravat wound about his wide-spread collar.
*{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=5 To have or carry on one's person habitually, consistently; or, to maintain in a particular fashion or manner.
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*, chapter=10
, title= To bear or display in one's aspect or appearance.
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To overcome one's reluctance and endure a (previously specified) situation.
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To eat away at, erode, diminish, or consume gradually; to cause a gradual deterioration in; to produce (some change) through attrition, exposure, or constant use.
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(lb) To undergo gradual deterioration; become impaired; be reduced or consumed gradually due to any continued process, activity, or use.
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*Sir (Walter Scott) (1771-1832)
*:His stock of money began to wear very low.
* (1804-1881)
*:The familywore out in the earlier part of the century.
To exhaust, fatigue, expend, or weary. His neverending criticism has finally worn' my patience. Toil and care soon '''wear''' the spirit. Our physical advantage allowed us to ' wear the other team out
(lb) To last or remain durable under hard use or over time; to retain usefulness, value, or desirable qualities under any continued strain or long period of time; sometimes said of a person, regarding the quality of being easy or difficult to tolerate.
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(in the phrase "wearing on (someone) ") To cause annoyance, irritation, fatigue, or weariness near the point of an exhaustion of patience.
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To pass slowly, gradually or tediously.
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*(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
*:Away, I say; time wears .
*(John Milton) (1608-1674)
*:Thus wore out night.
(lb) 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. Also written "ware". Past: weared, or wore/worn.
(uncountable) (in combination ) clothing
(uncountable) damage to the appearance and/or strength of an item caused by use over time
* 1895 , H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X
(uncountable) fashion
* Shakespeare
As an adjective dear
is loved; lovable or dear can be severe(ly affected), sore.As a noun dear
is a very kind, loving person.As a verb dear
is (obsolete) to endear.As an adverb dear
is (obsolete) dearly; at a high price.As a proper noun wear is
a river in the county of tyne and wear in north east england the city of sunderland is found upon its banks.dear
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) dere, from (etyl) .Adjective
(er)The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=“A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing.
Derived terms
* dearly * dear me * dearnessNoun
(en noun)- My cousin is such a dear , always drawing me pictures.
Synonyms
* (kind loving person) darlingDerived terms
* oh dear * the dear knowsAdverb
(en adverb)- If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear .
Etymology 2
(etyl) dere, from (etyl) . Cognate with the aboveStatistics
*Anagrams
* English affectionate terms ----wear
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) weren, werien, from (etyl) .Alternative forms
* (l), (l) (Scotland)Verb
- to wear the wolf from the sheep
Etymology 2
From (etyl) weren, werien, from (etyl) , (etyl) gwisgo, (etyl) waš- .Verb
citation, passage=‘It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.’}}
The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.}}
Derived terms
* outworn * wear away * wear down * wear off * wear out, worn out, worn-out * wear thin * wear something on one's sleeve, wear one's heart on one's sleeve * wear rose-colored glasses * wearable * wearer * worse for wearSee also
* (l) *Noun
(-)- footwear'''; outdoor '''wear'''; maternity '''wear
- Now, I still think that for this box of matches to have escaped the wear of time for immemorial years was a strange, and for me, a most fortunate thing.
- Motley's the only wear .