gear

1 of 2

noun

1
b
: movable property : goods
2
: equipment, paraphernalia
fishing gear
3
a
: the rigging of a ship or boat
b
: the harness especially of horses
4
dialectal, chiefly British : absurd talk : nonsense
5
dialectal, chiefly British : doings
6
a(1)
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a complete machine
steering gear
(2)
: a toothed wheel
(3)
: working relation, position, order, or adjustment
got her career in gear
(4)
: a level or pace of functioning
kicked their performance into high gear
b
: one of two or more adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine mechanical advantage, relative speed, and direction of travel
gearless adjective

Illustration of gear

Illustration of gear
  • G gear 6a(2)

gear

2 of 2

verb

geared; gearing; gears

transitive verb

1
a
: to provide (machinery) with gearing (see gearing sense 2)
b
: to connect by gearing (see gearing sense 1)
2
a
: to make ready for effective operation
b
: to adjust so as to match, blend with, or satisfy something
gearing wages to productivity

intransitive verb

1
a
British, of machinery : to be in gear : mesh
b
: shift sense 1c
gear down
2
: to become adjusted so as to match, blend, or harmonize
The industry is geared to meet growing consumer demand.

Examples of gear in a Sentence

Noun I somehow managed to pack all my gear into one suitcase. soldiers in full combat gear a complicated arrangement of gears and shafts a car with four forward gears Halfway up the hill, my bike slipped out of gear.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Equipped with the latest gear and a thirst for adventure, mountaineers embrace the perils that come with conquering the world’s highest peaks. Brian Strickland, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2024 Other dancers emerge dressed in outdoor gear and holding lanterns, orbs of lights and their own journals. Gloria Oladipo, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 The machinery used to make it, however, still had foreign sources including technology from Dutch maker ASML Holding NV as well as the gear from Lam and Applied Materials. Cagan Koc, Fortune Asia, 8 Mar. 2024 Focus on basic gear like a stroller, car seat and carrier. Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 Challenge stirs heat between and within tribes In the second immunity and reward challenge of the season, the three tribes competed for fishing gear, to keep their flint and to avoid going to tribal council. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Yet the Warriors followed up their sharpest half by getting stuck between gears. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Many of those brick-and-mortar shops have been on a steady decline for years and are often associated with dark, dusty backrooms piled high with smelly canvas and imitation gear. Charles W. McFarlane, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The North Face was once a simple one-stop shop for hiking gear. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024
Verb
The new entry, which continues to pack the punches and puns, is geared to kids, of course, but contains some mildly scary moments. Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 It is geared toward people who are 18 years and older who are not on insulin and who do not have problematic hypoglycemia. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 The derogatory comments were largely geared toward Black and LGTBQ+ residents. Sarah Nelson, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2024 This newest addition is geared toward families and teams, and all 390 rooms are pet-friendly, so no one needs to stay behind. Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Much of Saudia’s current services are already geared toward the multibillion-dollar hajj tourism industry based in nearby Mecca. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 Lego Icon Flowers sets are some of the most popular themes geared towards adults. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Murray pointed out the subsidies Exxon Mobil has received through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act that are geared at encouraging low-carbon energy solutions. Jane Thier, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 Unlike most One&Onlys, which are destination properties like One&Only Palmilla and Mandarina in Mexico, this resort offers pursuits geared toward to the business and leisure city-traveler such as epicurean journeys, arts and culture experiences and wellness programs. Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gere, from Old Norse gervi, gǫrvi; akin to Old English gearwe equipment, clothing, gearu ready — more at yare

Verb

derivative of gear entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1851, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gear was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gear

Cite this Entry

“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gear

1 of 2 noun
1
: equipment sense 2
camping gear
electronic gear
2
a
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a machine
steering gear
b
: a toothed wheel : cogwheel
3
a
: working order, relation, or adjustment
got her career in gear
b
: one of the adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine the direction of travel and the relative speed of the engine and the vehicle
gearless adjective

gear

2 of 2 verb
1
: to provide or connect with gearing
2
: to prepare for operation
gear up for production
3
: to make suitable
a book geared for children

More from Merriam-Webster on gear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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