(a) A bear; (b) blak ~, a bear with black fur; whit ~, white bear, polar bear; wild ~, untamed bear; (c) ~ baiting, the sport of setting dogs upon a bear chained to a stake; ~ binder, bear tamer, bear keeper [cp. ber(e)ward]; bere(s) fel, bear skin; bere(s) fot, bear's paw; beres grece, bear fat, bear's grease; ~ heved, bear's head; ~ hunte, bear hunter; ~ kin, bear kin, of the bear family; ~ kind, bear's nature, like a bear; ~ plei, ?the playing of bears, ?bearbaiting; bere(s) skin, ~ shin, bear skin; ~ son, bear's son; --pers. name; ?~ smerwe, bear's grease; ~ stake, stake to which the bear was chained for baiting; ~ whelp, bear cub; (d) binden ~, to chain up a bear, to overcome or master a bear [cp. ~ binder].

A painted or embroidered representation of a bear.

The bear as a type of the sins of sloth and gluttony; also, a person whose character is dominated by such a sin.

Astron. Either of the two constellations known as the Big and Little Dipper (Ursa major, Ursa minor); the lesse ~, the Little Dipper; the more ~, the Big Dipper.