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gear

Pronunciation: /ɡɪə/

The English word “gear” has 16 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. Equipment or paraphernalia, especially that used for an athletic endeavor.
  2. Clothing; garments.
  3. Goods; property; household items.
  4. A wheel, wheel segment, or bar with grooves (teeth) engraved on the outer circumference, such that two such devices can interlock and convey motion from one to the other.
  5. A particular combination or choice of interlocking gears, such that a particular gear ratio is achieved; often selected via a shifter.
  6. A configuration of the transmission of a motor car so as to achieve a particular ratio of engine to axle torque.
  7. Recreational drugs, including steroids.
  8. Stuff.
  9. Business matters; affairs; concern.
  10. Anything worthless; nonsense; rubbish.

verb

  1. To provide with gearing; to fit with gears in order to achieve a desired gear ratio.
  2. To be in gear, come into gear.
  3. To dress; to put gear on; to harness.
  4. To design or devise (something) so as to be suitable (for a particular type of person or a particular purpose).
  5. To borrow money in order to invest it in assets.

adjective

  1. great or fantastic

Etymology

From Middle English gere, a borrowing from Old Norse gervi, from Proto-Germanic *garwijaną (“to prepare”). See also adjective yare, yar from the same root via Old English.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.