wear
wear [wâr] verb
wore [wôr, wōr], worn [wôrn, wōrn], wearing, wears
verb, transitive
1. To carry or have on the person as covering, adornment, or protection: wearing a jacket; must wear a seat belt.
2. To carry or have habitually on the person, especially as an aid: wears glasses.
3. To display in one's appearance: always wears a smile.
4. To bear, carry, or maintain in a particular manner: wears her hair long.
5. To fly or display [colors]. Used of a ship, jockey, or knight.
6. To damage, diminish, erode, or consume by long or hard use, attrition, or exposure. Often used with away, down, or off: rocks worn away by the sea; shoes worn down at the heels.
7. To produce by constant use, attrition, or exposure: eventually wore hollows in the stone steps.
8. To bring to a specified condition by long use or attrition: wore the clothes to rags; pebbles worn smooth.
9. To fatigue, weary, or exhaust: Your incessant criticism has worn my patience.
10. Nautical. To make [a sailing ship] come about with the wind aft.
verb, intransitive
1. a. To last under continual or hard use: a fabric that will wear. b. To last through the passage of time: a friendship that wears well.
2. To break down or diminish through use or attrition: The rear tires began to wear.
3. To pass gradually or tediously: The hours wore on.
4. Nautical. To come about with stern to windward.
noun
1. The act of wearing or the state of being worn; use: The coat has had heavy wear.
2. Clothing, especially of a particular kind or for a particular use. Often used in combination: rainwear; footwear.
3. Gradual impairment or diminution resulting from use or attrition.
4. The ability to withstand impairment from use or attrition: The engine has plenty of wear left.
phrasal verb.
wear down
To break down or exhaust by relentless pressure or resistance. wear off
To diminish gradually in effect: The drug wore off. wear out
1. To make or become unusable through long or heavy use.
2. To use up or consume gradually.
3. To exhaust; tire.
4. Chiefly Southern U.S.. To punish by spanking: I'm going to wear you out!
idiom.
wear the pants or wear the trousers Informal
To exercise controlling authority in a household.
wear thin
1. To be weakened or eroded gradually: Her patience is wearing thin.
2. To become less convincing, acceptable, or popular, as through repeated use: excuses that are wearing thin.
[Middle English weren, from Old English werian.]
wearʹer noun