wear

wear
{{11}}wear (n.) "action of wearing" (clothes), mid-15c., from WEAR (Cf. wear) (v.). Meaning "what one wears" is 1570s. To be the worse for wear is attested from 1782; noun phrase wear and tear is first recorded 1660s, implying the sense "process of being degraded by use."
{{12}}wear (v.) O.E. werian "to clothe, put on," from P.Gmc. *wazjanan (Cf. O.N. verja, O.H.G. werian, Goth. gawasjan "to clothe"), from PIE *wes- "to clothe" (Cf. Skt. vaste "he puts on," vasanam "garment;" Avestan vah-; Gk. esthes "clothing," hennymi "to clothe," eima "garment;" L. vestire "to clothe;" Welsh gwisgo, Breton gwiska; O.E. wæstling "sheet, blanket;" Hittite washshush "garments," washanzi "they dress").
The Germanic forms "were homonyms of the vb. for 'prevent, ward off, protect' (Goth. warjan, O.E. werian, etc.), and this was prob. a factor in their early displacement in most of the Gmc. languages" [Buck]. Shifted from a weak verb (past tense and pp. wered) to a strong one (past tense wore, p.p. worn) in 14c. on analogy of rhyming strong verbs such as BEAR (Cf. bear) and TEAR (Cf. tear). Secondary sense of "use up, gradually damage" (late 13c.) is from effect of continued use on clothes. To be the worse for wear is attested from 1782; noun phrase wear and tear is first recorded 1660s.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Wear — Wear, v. t. [imp. {Wore} (w[=o]r); p. p. {Worn} (w[=o]rn); p. pr. & vb. n. {Wearing}. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being {Weared}.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wear — wear1 [wer] vt. wore, worn, wearing [ME weren < OE werian, akin to ON verja, Goth wasjan, to clothe < IE base * wes , to clothe > Sans vastra , L vestis, clothing, vestire, to clothe] 1. a) to have on the body or carry on the person… …   English World dictionary

  • wear — [weə ǁ wer] noun ( fair) wear and tear INSURANCE the amount of damage that can be expected to affect a product or property in normal use. Wear and tear is often taken into consideration by an insurance company when paying an insurance claim: •… …   Financial and business terms

  • Wear — Wear, v. i. 1. To endure or suffer use; to last under employment; to bear the consequences of use, as waste, consumption, or attrition; as, a coat wears well or ill; hence, sometimes applied to character, qualifications, etc.; as, a man wears… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wear — [n] use, corrosion abrasion, attrition, damage, depreciation, deterioration, dilapidation, diminution, disappearance, employment, erosion, friction, impairment, inroads, loss, mileage, service, usefulness, utility, waste, wear and tear; concepts… …   New thesaurus

  • wear — ► VERB (past wore; past part. worn) 1) have on one s body as clothing, decoration, or protection. 2) exhibit or present (a particular facial expression or appearance). 3) damage or destroy or suffer damage or destruction by friction or use. 4)… …   English terms dictionary

  • Wear — Wear, n. 1. The act of wearing, or the state of being worn; consumption by use; diminution by friction; as, the wear of a garment. [1913 Webster] 2. The thing worn; style of dress; the fashion. [1913 Webster] Motley s the only wear. Shak. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wear in — ˌwear ˈin [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they wear in he/she/it wears in present participle wearing in past tense …   Useful english dictionary

  • Wear — 〈[wɛ:(r)] f. 10; unz.; meist in Zus.〉 Kleidung (HomeWear, SportsWear, StreetWear) [engl.] …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Wear — 〈[wɛ:(r)] f.; Gen.: ; Pl.: unz.; meist in Zus.〉 Kleidung; HomeWear; SportsWear; StreetWear [Etym.: engl.] …   Lexikalische Deutsches Wörterbuch

  • WEAR IT'S 'AT — est le premier album des Rubettes, paru en décembre 1974. Liste des titres Way Back In The Fifties Rock Is Dead Tonight The Way Of Love Rumours Your Love Forever Sugar Baby Love Teenage Dream Rock And Roll Survival When You re Sixteen… …   Wikipédia en Français

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