Wear \Wear\, v. t. [imp. Wore; p. p. Worn; p. pr. & vb. n.
Wearing. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the
imp. & p. p. being Weared.]
[OE. weren, werien, AS. werian
to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin to OHG. werien,
weren, to clothe, Goth. wasjan, L. vestis clothing, vestire
to clothe, Gr. ?, Skr. vas. Cf. Vest.]
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a
channel; to wear a hole.
6. 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.]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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