lear

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /lɪɹ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /lɪə/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From Middle English laire, leire, lere, northern Middle English variants of lore, loare (“doctrine, teaching, lore”), from Old English lār (“lore”). More at lore.

Etymology 2

From Middle English learen, leren (“to learn", also "to teach”). Doublet of learn (Etymology 2).

Etymology 3

See lehr.

Anagrams

• Arel, Earl, Elar, Lare, Rael, Raël, Real, earl, lare, rale, real

Alternative forms

• liar

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese liar (13th century, Cantigas de Santa Maria), ultimately from Latin ligāre. Compare Spanish liar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leˈaɾ/

Verb

lear (first-person singular present leo, first-person singular preterite leei, past participle leado)
lear (first-person singular present leio, first-person singular preterite leei, past participle leado, reintegrationist norm)

1. (transitive) to wrap, coil

   Synonym: envurullar

2. (transitive) to link

   Synonym: ligar

3. (transitive) to entangle

   Synonyms: enlear, enredar

4. (transitive) to roll (a cigarette)
5. (pronominal) to wrestle, fight

   Synonyms: enlear, loitar, rifar, punar, barallar, desortir

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “liar”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “liar”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “lear”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “lear”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “lear”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “lear”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l̠ʲaɾˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish ler, from Proto-Celtic *liros. Cognate with Welsh llŷr.

Etymology 2

Noun

lear (nominative plural lears)

1. olive tree

Etymology

From Middle English lere, from Old English *lǣre, gelǣr, from Proto-West Germanic *lāʀi, *lāʀī.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /liː/

Adjective

lear

1. empty
   • 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 100:

     At ye mye ne'er be wooveless ta vill a lear jock an cooan.

     That you may never be unprovided to fill an empty jack and can.

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 52