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wear

1. A dam in a river to stop and raise the water, for the purpose of conducting it to a mill, forming a fish pond, or the like.

2. A fence of stakes, brushwood, or the like, set in a stream, tideway, or inlet of the sea, for taking fish.

3. A long notch with a horizontal edge, as in the top of a vertical plate or plank, through which water flows, used in measuring the quantity of flowing water.

Origin: OE. Wer, AS. Wer; akin to G. Wehr, AS. Werian to defend, protect, hinder, G. Wehren, Goth. Warjan; and perhaps to E. Wary; or cf. Skr. Vr to check, hinder. Cf. Garret.

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. 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 f06 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. [I] weared upon my gay scarlet gites [gowns] . To wear out. To consume, or render useless, by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book. To consume tediously. To wear out miserable days. . To harass; to tire. [He] shall wear out the saints of the most high. . To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in military service. To wear the breeches. See Breeches.

Origin: Wore; Worn; Wearing. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the 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.