: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a complete machine
steering gear
(2)
: a toothed wheel
(3)
: working relation, position, order, or adjustment
got her career in gear
(4)
: a level or pace of functioning
kicked their performance into high gear
b
: one of two or more adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine mechanical advantage, relative speed, and direction of travel
Noun
I somehow managed to pack all my gear into one suitcase.
soldiers in full combat gear
a complicated arrangement of gears and shafts
a car with four forward gears
Halfway up the hill, my bike slipped out of gear.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The tax holiday also doesn’t cover rentals of such things as fishing gear and kayaks and doesn’t include purchases at places such as theme parks and airports.—Jim Turner, Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2024 Ohtani’s excellent debut season with the Dodgers really kicked into gear in June, as he’s averaged .306 batting with 10 home runs, 22 RBIs and 15 walks compared to 20 strikeouts in 22 games.—Ben Morse, CNN, 26 June 2024
Verb
What to Consider The rooms, many with bunk beds, are geared toward families.—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2024 Lowe has taken it all in stride, reminding McCarthy, rightly, that the group was part of a great wave of movies geared to 18- to 20-year-olds, a marker of the era and one that changed the industry.—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 13 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for gear
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English gere, from Old Norse gervi, gǫrvi; akin to Old English gearwe equipment, clothing, gearu ready — more at yare
: one of the adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine the direction of travel and the relative speed of the engine and the vehicle
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