beard

¹

[ beerd ]

noun

1. a thick growth of hair on the face, especially on an adult man, often including a mustache:

   He's been growing out his beard for a couple of months, and it's filling in nicely.

2. Zoology. a tuft, growth, or part resembling or suggesting the thick growth of hair on the human face, such as the tuft of long hairs on the lower jaw of a goat or the cluster of hairlike feathers at the base of the bill in certain birds.
3. Botany. a tuft or growth of awns or the like, as on wheat or barley.
4. a barb or catch on an arrow, fishhook, knitting needle, crochet needle, etc.
5. Also called bev·el neck [bev, -, uh, l nek]. Printing.
   1. the sloping part of a type that connects the face with the shoulder of the body.
   2. British. the space on a type between the bottom of the face of an x-high character and the edge of the body, comprising both beard and shoulder.
   3. the cross stroke on the stem of a capital G.
6. Slang. a romantic partner chosen to conceal a person's sexual orientation, especially that of a gay or lesbian person.

verb (used with object)

1. to oppose boldly; defy:

   It took courage for the mayor to beard the pressure groups.

   Synonyms: face, dare, brave, confront

   Antonyms: dodge, avoid

2. to seize, pluck, or pull the beard of:

   The hoodlums bearded the old man.

3. to supply with a beard.

verb (used without object)

1. Slang. to act as a romantic partner to someone in order to conceal their sexual orientation, especially that of a gay or lesbian person.

Beard

²

[ beerd ]

noun

1. Charles Austin, 1874–1948, and his wife Mary, 1876–1958, U.S. historians.
2. Daniel Carter, 1850–1941, U.S. artist and naturalist: organized the Boy Scouts of America in 1910.
3. James Andrew, 1903–85, U.S. cooking teacher and food writer.

beard

/ bɪəd /

noun

1. the hair growing on the lower parts of a man's face
2. any similar growth in animals
3. a tuft of long hairs in plants such as barley and wheat; awn
4. the gills of an oyster
5. a barb, as on an arrow or fish-hook
6. slang.
   a woman who accompanies a homosexual man to give the impression that he is heterosexual
7. printing the part of a piece of type that connects the face with the shoulder

verb

1. to oppose boldly or impertinently
2. to pull or grasp the beard of

beard

/ bîrd /

1. A tuft or group of hairs or bristles on certain plants, such as barley and wheat. The individual strands of a beard are attached to a sepal or petal.

Derived Forms

• ˈbearded, adjective

Other Words From

• beard·like adjective
• un·beard verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of beard¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English berd, Old English beard; cognate with Dutch baard, German Bart, Late Latin Langobardi “Long-beards (name of the Lombards),” Crimean Gothic bars; akin to Latin barba, Lithuanian barzdà, Old Church Slavonic brada, Russian borodá

Word History and Origins

Origin of beard¹

Old English beard ; related to Old Norse barth , Old High German bart , Latin barba

Example Sentences

Between 25 and 30, you’re trying to decide how much longer before you start growing a beard and calling yourself ‘Daddy.

From The Daily Beast

In the video his face is a little thinner, his beard ever so slightly longer.

From The Daily Beast

“It seems that the different standard is (based on) the length of the beard and outwardly display of piety,” Hamdani said.

From The Daily Beast

Hauchard converted to Islam in high school at 17, and is said to have suddenly begun wearing a beard and djellaba.

From The Daily Beast

An older and firmly round fellow with a trim beard leaned his head back and fought off tears.

From The Daily Beast

He thrust his tiny tuft of beard between his teeth—a trick he had when perplexed or thoughtful.

From Project Gutenberg

"I've told Judy to bemember," said Punch, wiggling, for his father's beard tickled his neck.

From Project Gutenberg

His face was hidden beneath a beard of bristling, bushy red, and he had a sharp hook nose and small, bright eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

Now he was wagging his head solemnly, pulling his beard, and over and over repeating, "But hens is contrary—hens is contrary."

From Project Gutenberg

The Seneschal combed his beard and screwed up his pale eyes until they vanished in the cushions of his cheeks.

From Project Gutenberg