lear

¹ American  

[leer] / lɪər /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. learning; instruction; lesson.

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Lear ² American  

[leer] / lɪər /

noun

1. Edward, 1812–88, English writer of humorous verse and landscape painter.

2. (italics) King Lear.

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Lear British  

/ lɪə /

noun

1. Edward. 1812–88, English humorist and painter, noted for his illustrated nonsense poems and limericks

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Etymology

Origin of lear

1350–1400; late Middle English lere lesson, noun use of lere to teach, Old English lǣran; cognate with Dutch leren, German lehren, Gothic laisjan; akin to lore ¹

Example Sentences

V. But if he hae the name o’ gear, Ye’ll fasten to him like a brier, Tho’ hardly he, for sense or lear, Be better than the kye.

From The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondence. With a New Life of the Poet, and Notices, Critical and Biographical by Allan Cunningham by Burns, Robert

He had a sort of dark, down look about him, and a lear out of the corner of one eye, like a horse that's goin' to kick.

From The Clockmaker Or, the Sayings and Doings of Samuel Slick, of Slickville by Haliburton, Thomas Chandler

Didn't I lear you coming down de track all whistling and everything?

From De Turkey and De Law A Comedy in Three Acts by Hurston, Zora Neale

In this braw age o' wit and lear, Will nane the Shepherd's whistle mair Blaw sweetly in its native air, And rural grace; And, wi' the far-fam'd Grecian, share A rival place?

From Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Burns, Robert

And aye the stound is birkin lear  Where sconnered yowies wheepen yestreen.

From The Humorous Poetry of the English Language; from Chaucer to Saxe by Parton, James