[f. BEAR v.1]
1. That bears, carries, supports, endures, drives, presses, pierces, stands out, etc. (See various meanings of the vb.)
c. 1500. Robin Hood (Ritson), II. xii. 131. Clifton with a bearing arrow, Hee clave the willow wand.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop., 158. Drawing and bearinge beastes.
1642. Howell, For. Trav. (1869), 61. Large and bearing streames.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 122. Lockt up in a bearing or pressing posture.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 69. You must Plane both the Bearing sides thinner.
1702. Penn, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., IX. 162. Be as bearing as you can with hasty and fretful tempers.
1850. Leitch, trans. Müller’s Anc. Art, § 275. 305. The architectural members … are divided into bearing, borne, and intermediate. Among the bearing the column is the form naturally suggested.
† 2. Of food: Sustaining, substantial. Obs.
c. 1618. Fletcher, Wom. Pleased, I. ii. A good bearing dinner.
1633. Massinger, New Way, etc., V. i. Bearing dishes.
3. In comb., as: burden-, interest-bearing; bearing-rein, a short fixed rein that passes from the bit to the saddle, intended to keep the horse’s head up and its neck arched; fig. a check or restraint upon movements.
1620. Quarles, Jonah (1638), 43. The burden-bearing Camell.
1794. W. Felton, Carriages (1801), II. 138. The bearing rein is what prevents the horse from holding his head down.
1839. Syd. Smith, Wks., 1859, I. Pref. 8. Lord Grey had not then taken off the bearing-rein from the English people.
1866. Crump, Banking, xi. 245. Having an interest-bearing reserve.
1882. Macm. Mag., XLV. 464. When horses are unnecessarily restrained by bearing-reins.
4. Bringing forth, producing (offspring, fruit, etc.). Often as second element in a compound, as berry-, fruit-, spectre-bearing.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. cxvii. (1495), 682. Thycke settyng of knottes is token of a good vyne and berynge.
1672. Petty, Pol. Anat. (1691), 53. A Cow continues Milch and bearing, from 3 or 4 years old to 12.
1831. Carlyle, Sart. Res., II. vi. The Future is wholly a Stygian Darkness, spectre-bearing.
1858. W. Ellis, Vis. Madagascar, viii. 225. The fruit-bearing olive.
5. Fertile, productive.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 28. Eke se thi lande Be bering, and commodiously stande.
1882. S. Macadam, Manitoba Soil. Soils of a good bearing quality.
