gear

See also: géar, gèar, and Gear

English

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.

Pronunciation

• enPR: gîr, IPA^(key): /ɡɪə(ɹ)/
• enPR: gîr, IPA^(key): /ɡɪɚ/

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪə(r)

Noun

gear (countable and uncountable, plural gears)

1. (uncountable) Equipment or paraphernalia, especially that used for an athletic endeavor.
2. Clothing; garments.
   • (Can we date this quote by Spenser and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Array thyself in thy most gorgeous gear.

3. (obsolete) Goods; property; household items.
   • (Can we date this quote?) Chaucer (The Canterbury Tales)

     Woe was his cook, his sauce were / Poignant and sharp, and ready all his gear.

   • (Can we date this quote by Robynson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?) (More's Utopia)

     Homely gear and common ware.

4. (countable) A wheel with grooves (teeth) engraved on the outer circumference, such that two such devices can interlock and convey motion from one to the other; a gear wheel.

   Synonyms: cog, cogwheel, gearwheel

5. (countable, automotive, cycling) A particular combination or choice of interlocking gears, such that a particular gear ratio is achieved.
6. (countable, automotive) A configuration of the transmission of a motor car so as to achieve a particular ratio of engine to axle torque.
7. (slang) Recreational drugs, including steroids.
   • 2003, Marianne Hancock, Looking for Oliver (page 90)

     "Have you got any gear? Dominic, have you got any acid?" Emma kept running her hands nervously through her hair. "Not LSD, man; that last trip freaked me out."

8. (uncountable, archaic) Stuff.
   • 1662, Henry More, An Antidote Against Atheism, Book III, A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More, p. 113:

     When he was digged up, which was in the presence of the Magistracy of the Town, his body was found entire, not at all putrid, no ill smell about him, saving the mustiness of the grave-Clothes, his joynts limber and flexible, as in those that are alive, his skin only flaccid, but a more fresh grown in the room of it, the wound of his throat gaping, but no gear nor corruption in it; there was also observed a Magical mark in the great toe of his right foot, viz. an Excrescency in the form of a Rose.

9. (obsolete) Business matters; affairs; concern.
   • (Can we date this quote by Spenser and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Thus go they both together to their gear.

10. (obsolete, UK, dialect) Anything worthless; nonsense; rubbish.

    (Can we find and add a quotation of Wright to this entry?)

    • (Can we date this quote by Latimer and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

      That servant of his that confessed and uttered this gear was an honest man.

Derived terms

• change gear
• change gears
• find another gear
• gear lever
• gear shift
• gear train
• get one's ass in gear
• give someone the gears
• high gear
• in gear
• laughing gear
• shift gear
• shift gears
• up a gear

 

Translations

equipment or paraphernalia

• Bulgarian: приспособление (bg) n (prisposoblenie)
• Czech: vybavení (cs) n
• Danish: udstyr n
• Finnish: varusteet pl
• French: panoplie (fr) f
• Galician: equipamento (gl) m, aparellos (gl) m pl
• Georgian: აღჭურვილობა (aɣč̣urviloba), ხელსაწყო (xelsac̣q̇o), მოწყობილობა (moc̣q̇obiloba), აპარატი (aṗaraṭi), მექანიზმი (mekanizmi)
• German: Ausrüstung (de) f
• Greek: εξοπλισμός (el) m (exoplismós), σύνεργα (el) n pl (sýnerga)
• Hungarian: felszerelés (hu), készlet (hu), holmi (hu), cucc (hu)
• Irish: acmhainn f, gléasra m
• Italian: attrezzo (it) m, parafernalia f, equipaggiamento (it) m
• Macedonian: о́према f (óprema)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: utstyr n

  Nynorsk: utstyr n

• Portuguese: equipamento (pt) m
• Russian: снаряже́ние (ru) n (snarjažénije)
• Scottish Gaelic: uidheam f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: о̏према f

  Roman: ȍprema (sh) f

• Slovene: oprema (sl) m
• Spanish: equipo (es) m, engranaje (es), pertrecho (es), aparejo (es), apero (es), avíos (es), trebejos (es), enseres (es), recado (es)
• Swedish: utrustning (sv) c

a wheel with grooves

• Bulgarian: зъбно колело n (zǎbno kolelo)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 齒輪／齿轮 (ci² leon⁴)

  Mandarin: 齒輪／齿轮 (zh) (chǐlún), 齿轮 (zh) (chǐlún)

• Czech: ozubené kolo n
• Danish: tandhjul (da) n
• Dutch: tandwiel (nl) ?
• Esperanto: dentrado
• Finnish: hammasratas (fi), ratas (fi), hammaspyörä (fi)
• French: engrenage (fr) m, roue dentée (fr) f, pignon (fr) m
• Georgian: კბილანა (ḳbilana)
• German: Zahnrad (de) n
• Greek: οδοντωτός τροχός m (odontotós trochós)
• Hungarian: fogaskerék (hu)
• Icelandic: tannhjól n
• Italian: ingranaggio (it) m
• Japanese: 歯車 (ja) (はぐるま, haguruma), ギア (ja) (gia)
• Latvian: zobrats m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: за́пченик m (zápčenik)
• Neapolitan: turnese f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: tannhjul (no) n

  Nynorsk: tannhjul n

• Occitan: engranatge (oc) m, ròda dentada f
• Polish: koło zębate (pl) n, trybik (pl) m
• Portuguese: engrenagem (pt) f
• Romanian: roată dințată f
• Russian: зу́бчатое колесо́ (ru) n (zúbčatoje kolesó), шестерня́ (ru) f (šesternjá), шестерёнка (ru) f (šesterjónka)
• Scottish Gaelic: cuibhle-ghèar f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: зупча̀нӣк m

  Roman: zupčànīk (sh) m

• Slovak: ozubené koleso n
• Spanish: engranaje (es) m
• Swedish: kugghjul (sv) n, drev (sv) n
• Tagalog: ngiplong

a particular combination or choice of interlocking gears

• Bulgarian: зъбна предавка f (zǎbna predavka)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 檔／档 (zh) (dàng), 档 (zh) (dàng)

• Czech: převod (cs) m, soukolí (cs) n
• Danish: gear n
• Dutch: overbrenging f
• Finnish: vaihde (fi), vaihteisto (fi)
• French: vitesse (fr) f
• Georgian: გადაცემა (gadacema)
• German: Gang (de) m
• Greek: σχέση (el) f (schési)
• Hungarian: sebesség (hu)
• Italian: marcia (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: ギア (ja) (gia)
• Macedonian: брзина f (brzina)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: gir (no) n

  Nynorsk: gir n

• Portuguese: marcha (pt) f, velocidade (pt)
• Russian: переда́ча (ru) f (peredáča), ско́рость (ru) f (skórostʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: gèar m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: брзѝна f, сте̏пе̄н преноса m

  Roman: brzìna (sh) f, stȅpēn prenosa m

• Slovak: prevod m
• Spanish: marcha (es) f, velocidad (es) f

motor car transmission

• Bulgarian: предаване (bg) n (predavane), трансмисия f (transmisija)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 排擋／排挡 (zh) (páidǎng), 排挡 (zh) (páidǎng)

• Czech: převod (cs) m
• Danish: gear n
• Dutch: versnelling (nl) f
• Finnish: vaihteisto (fi)
• French: vitesse (fr) f
• Georgian: ტრანსმისია (ṭransmisia), გადაცემა (gadacema)
• German: Gangschaltung (de) f
• Greek: ταχύτητα (el) f (tachýtita)
• Icelandic: gír m
• Italian: cambio (it) m
• Macedonian: пре́нос m (prénos), брзина f (brzina)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: gir (no) n

  Nynorsk: gir n

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: bieg (pl) m
• Portuguese: marcha (pt), câmbio (pt) m
• Romanian: cutie de viteze f, schimbător de viteză (ro) n
• Russian: переда́ча (ru) f (peredáča), трансми́ссия (ru) f (transmíssija)
• Scottish Gaelic: gèar m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: брзѝна f, сте̏пе̄н преноса m

  Roman: brzìna (sh) f, stȅpēn prenosa m

• Spanish: marcha (es) f, cambio (es) m
• Swedish: växel (sv) c
• Tagalog: ngiplong, kambiyo
• Turkish: vites (tr)

(slang) recreational drugs

• German: Stoff (de) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Verb

gear (third-person singular simple present gears, present participle gearing, simple past and past participle geared)

1. (engineering, transitive) To provide with gearing; to fit with gears in order to achieve a desired gear ratio.
2. (engineering, intransitive) To be in, or come into, gear.
3. To dress; to put gear on; to harness.
4. (usually with to or toward(s)) To design or devise (something) so as to be suitable (for a particular type of person or a particular purpose).

   This shop is not really geared towards people of our age.

   They have geared the hotel mainly at tourists.

5. (finance) To borrow money in order to invest it in assets.

Derived terms

• gear to
• gear towards
• gear up

 

Translations

to fit with gears in order to achieve a desired gear ratio

• Dutch: in een versnelling komen, schakelen (nl)
• French: passer ses vitesses
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Georgian: მოძრაობაში მოყვანა (moʒraobaši moq̇vana)
• Italian: ingranare (it)
• Portuguese: engrenar (pt)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} engranar (es)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

Adjective

gear (comparative more gear, superlative most gear)

1. (chiefly Liverpool) great or fantastic

Anagrams

• Ager, GRAE, Gera, Rega, ager, areg, gare, rage

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Manx

Alternative forms

• geayr, geyre

Etymology

From Old Irish gér.

Verb

gear (verbal noun gearey)

1. to laugh, chuckle

Adjective

gear

1. sharp, keen
2. sour, acid

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “gér”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

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Old English

Alternative forms

• ġǣr, ġēr — Anglian

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *jērą, from Proto-Indo-European *yeh₁r-. Cognate with Old Frisian jēr (West Frisian jier), Old Saxon jār (Middle Low German jâr), Dutch jaar, Old High German jār (Old High German Jahr), Old Norse ár (Danish/Norwegian/Swedish år, Icelandic/Faroese ár), Gothic 𐌾𐌴𐍂 (jēr). The Indo-European root is also the source of Ancient Greek ὥρα (hṓra, “season”), Russian яра (jara), Czech jaro, Lithuanian jore (“springtime”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jæ͜ɑːr/

Noun

ġēar n (nominative plural ġēar)

1. year

   c. 9-12 AD, Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:

   Ðis wæs feorþes geares his rices

   This was in the fourth year of his reign.

2. the runic character ᛄ (/j/)

Declension

Declension of gear (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	ġēar	ġēar
accusative	ġēar	ġēar
genitive	ġēares	ġēara
dative	ġēare	ġēarum

Derived terms

• ġēardagas
• ġēarlīċ

Descendants

• Middle English: yeer, yere
  • English: year
  • Scots: year

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Portuguese

Etymology

From an Old Galician-Portuguese *gear (compare geo), from Latin gelāre, present active infinitive of gelō. Doublet of the borrowing gelar. Compare also Galician xear.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʒɨˈaɾ]

Verb

1. to frost (weather)

Related terms

• geada
• geado
• gelar
• gelo

 

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West Frisian

Adverb

gear

1. together

Further reading

• “gear (III)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011