# bearing

Pronunciation: say "BAIR-ing" US /ˈbɛɹɪŋ/, UK /ˈbɛə̯ɹɪŋ/

## Noun

1. A mechanical part that supports a moving component and reduces friction between surfaces.
   - Simple: A part in a machine that lets another part turn or slide smoothly without rubbing.
   - _Mechanics packed fresh grease into the wheel bearing before reassembly._
   - _The motor failed when one of its bearings seized under heavy load._
2. Relevance to a matter; a connection or relationship by which one thing affects another.
   - Simple: How much one thing matters to or connects with another.
   - _The witness's testimony had no bearing on the final verdict._
   - _Economic trends have a direct bearing on consumer confidence._
3. An awareness of one's position and orientation, whether physically in space or figuratively within a situation.
   - Simple: A sense of where you are and which way you are facing.
   - _New to the company, he struggled to find his bearings during the first week._
   - _The hikers lost their bearings when fog rolled over the trail._
4. The horizontal angle between the direction of an object and true north or another reference point; a heading.
   - Simple: The direction to something, measured as an angle from north.
   - _The navigator recorded a bearing of forty-five degrees toward the harbor entrance._
   - _Pilots adjust their bearings as crosswinds push the aircraft off course._
5. A person's posture, demeanor, and overall manner of carrying oneself.
   - Simple: The way a person stands, moves, and behaves.
   - _The young officer had a dignified bearing that impressed his superiors._
   - _Despite the bad news, she kept a composed bearing throughout the meeting._
9. The portion of a structural member that rests directly upon its support.
   - Simple: The part of a beam or other building piece that sits on its support.
   - _Inspectors measured the bearing of each rafter where it met the top plate._
   - _Insufficient bearing at the beam ends caused the floor to sag noticeably._
10. The part of a support that receives and holds whatever rests upon it.
   - Simple: The surface of a support where something else rests on top.
   - _Workers leveled the stone bearing before lowering the lintel into place._
   - _The wall's bearing had crumbled, leaving the beam without solid contact._
11. Any single emblem or charge displayed on a coat of arms or shield.
   - Simple: A single picture or symbol shown on a coat of arms.
   - _The herald described every bearing on the duke's escutcheon in fine detail._
   - _Three silver stars served as the chief bearings of the noble house._
12. The distance a beam or structure spans without any intermediate support. *(nonstandard)*
   - Simple: The length of a beam that stretches across open space with no support underneath.
   - _The architect calculated the maximum bearing the steel beam could manage safely._
   - _A longer bearing requires a deeper joist to resist sagging._

## Adjective

6. Carrying weight or structural load, as a beam, column, or similar supporting element does.
   - Simple: Holding up the weight of something else, like a wall or beam does.
   - _Contractors warned that the bearing column could not be relocated without new supports._
   - _Engineers calculated how much force each bearing member would carry._
7. Producing, yielding, or carrying the specified thing, as named in combination with the word.
   - Simple: Producing or carrying whatever thing is named just before the word.
   - _Geologists mapped the ore-bearing rock layers beneath the valley floor._
   - _The most heavily bearing vines in the vineyard were harvested first._

## Verb

8. Present participle and gerund of bear. — present participle and gerund of bear
   - Simple: Present participle of bear. Use this form for something happening now or still going on.
   - _The beams are bearing the full load of the roof above._
   - _Investors are bearing significant risk in this volatile market._

## Origin

**Meanings 6–8** — From Middle English beringe and Old English berende ("bearing; fruitful"), going back to Proto-Germanic *berandz, the present participle of *beraną ("to bear, carry"). It is equivalent to bear + -ing.
**Meanings 1–5, 9–12** — From Middle English bering, beringe, equivalent to bear + -ing.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bearing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).