gear

American  

[geer] / gɪər /

noun

• gears
  plural

1. Machinery.

   1. a part, as a disk, wheel, or section of a shaft, having cut teeth of such form, size, and spacing that they mesh with teeth in another part to transmit or receive force and motion.

   2. an assembly of such parts.

   3. one of several possible arrangements of such parts in a mechanism, as an automobile transmission, for affording different relations of torque and speed between the driving and the driven machinery, or for permitting the driven machinery to run in either direction.

      first gear;

      reverse gear.

   4. a mechanism or group of parts performing one function or serving one purpose in a complex machine.

      steering gear.

2. implements, tools, or apparatus, especially as used for a particular occupation or activity; paraphernalia.

   fishing gear.

   Synonyms:

   rig, tackle, outfit, equipment

3. a harness, especially of horses.

4. Nautical.

   1. the lines, tackles, etc., of a particular sail or spar.

   2. the personal tools, clothing, and other possessions of a sailor.

5. portable items of personal property, including clothing; possessions.

   The campers keep all their gear in footlockers.

6. wearing apparel; clothing.

   The fashion pages of the Sunday paper are featuring the latest fall gear.

7. armor or arms.

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verb (used with object)

• gears,
  present (3rd person singular)
• geared,
  past participle,  past
• gearing
  present participle

1. to provide with or connect by gearing.

2. to put in or into gear.

3. to provide with gear; supply; equip.

4. to prepare, adjust, or adapt to a particular situation, person, etc., in order to bring about satisfactory results.

   The producers geared their output to seasonal demands.

verb (used without object)

• gears,
  present (3rd person singular)
• geared,
  past participle,  past
• gearing
  present participle

1. to fit exactly, as one part of gearing into another; come into or be in gear.

adjective

1. Slang. great; wonderful.

verb phrase

1. gear up

   1. to make or get ready for a future event or situation.

      Insiders say the senator is gearing up to run for governor.

   2. to get or put on equipment or clothing for a particular purpose.

      The hikers geared up for the long trek down the mountain.

   3. to arouse or excite, as with enthusiasm or expectation.

      The employees were geared up for a hard battle with management over working hours.

2. gear down

   1. Automotive. to shift the transmission of a vehicle to a lower gear.

      The truck driver geared down at the top of the hill.

   2. to reduce in scope or intensity.

      With less income you'll have to gear down your spending habits.

idioms

1. in / into high gear, in or into a state of utmost speed, activity, or efficiency: null ininto top gear

   With cold and flu season in high gear, it's time to perfect your chicken soup recipe.

   Military rearmament moved into high gear.

2. shift / switch gears, to change one's attitude, course of action, methods, etc., in an abrupt, dramatic, or unexpected manner.

   In the middle of the second act the play shifts gears from comedy to tragedy.

3. out of gear, in the state in which gears are not connected or meshed.

   The engine is out of gear.

4. in gear,

   1. Machinery. in the state in which gears are connected or meshed.

      The car is in gear.

   2. in proper or active working order; functioning continuously without trouble.

      Every department in this company must be in gear at all times.

gear British  

/ ɡɪə /

noun

1. a toothed wheel that engages with another toothed wheel or with a rack in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion

2. a mechanism for transmitting motion by gears, esp for a specific purpose

   the steering gear of a boat

3. the engagement or specific ratio of a system of gears

   in gear

   high gear

4. personal equipment and accoutrements; belongings

5. equipment and supplies for a particular operation, sport, etc

   fishing gear

6. nautical all equipment or appurtenances belonging to a certain vessel, sailor, etc

7. short for landing gear

8. informal up-to-date clothes and accessories, esp those bought by young people

9. slang

   1. stolen goods

   2. illegal drugs

10. a less common word for harness

11. working or performing effectively or properly

12. out of order; not functioning properly

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verb

1. (tr) to adjust or adapt (one thing) so as to fit in or work with another

   to gear our output to current demand

2. (tr) to equip with or connect by gears

3. (intr) to be in or come into gear

4. (tr) to equip with harness

gear Scientific  

/ gîr /

1. A wheel with teeth around its rim that mesh with the teeth of another wheel to transmit motion. Gears are used to transmit power (as in a car transmission) or change the direction of motion in a mechanism (as in a differential axle). Fixed ratios of speed in various parts of a machine is often established by the arrangement of gears.

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gear More Idioms  

1. see high gear; slip a cog (gear).

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• regear
  verb
• gearless
  adjective
• ungeared
  adjective
• well-geared
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gears
  plural

Participles

• gearing
  present
• geared
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• gear
  simple
• gears
  simple
• have geared
  perfect
• has geared
  perfect
• am gearing
  progressive
• are gearing
  progressive
• is gearing
  progressive
• have been gearing
  perfect progressive
• has been gearing
  perfect progressive

Past

• geared
  simple
• had geared
  perfect
• was gearing
  progressive
• were gearing
  progressive
• had been gearing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will gear
  simple
• will have geared
  perfect
• will be gearing
  progressive
• will have been gearing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of gear

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English gere, from Old Norse gervi, gørvi; akin to Old English gearwe “equipment”

Explanation

The noun gear refers to several things. First, it’s the equipment we need for a sport or event. A gear is also a wheel with teeth that interlocks with another gear to transmit motion in a machine. The background of gear as "equipment" dates back to around 1200 and comes from the Old Norse gervi, "apparel." The word gear in machinery became common in the early 19th century, although there is evidence that the word came to mean "toothed wheel" as early as 1520. Gear entered English slang around 1951, meaning something stylish. This use was popularized in the 1960s, under the influence of British pop music.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gear gears geared gearing

"I always encourage parents to tap into their club's community. Families with older kids are usually eager to pass down gear," she said.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

The company has smashed analysts’ earnings estimates for each of the 14 quarters since the AI boom kicked into high gear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The tariffs cover a slice of imports from Canada that include plywood, liquor, and hockey gear.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

And cheering parents showed up in Trojan shirts and gear freshly purchased on campus.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Both had decided to close for the summer, but if they were going to be able to continue summer plans elsewhere, then they needed the gear that was stored at Spirit Lake.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

The record is likely to boost the prime minister's image as Italy, which has had almost 70 governments over the past 80 years, gears up for a national vote in 2027, analysts say.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

He said they were also desirable due to being quiet and "so fast at the twist of a throttle", along with not having gears or refuelling to worry about.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

I realize that’s a heavy way to wrap up the week, so let’s shift gears.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

The disclosure was included in filings with the Hong Kong stock exchange as the retailer gears up to go public after securing China’s approval for a listing earlier this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

I could practically see his gears grinding, just knew he was going to come up with something good.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

"Selective pressure is much lower at advanced ages, particularly in rotifers which are really geared to do most of their living and reproducing very young," she said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

Offerings geared toward wellness and the ongoing protein trend have done well, she said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

The pizza chain aims to boost sales with a new rectangular pie geared toward individual orders, as more Americans eat meals alone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Soon she was being served videos not just about being super-thin, but also geared toward “embracing my divine femininity” and “my natural role.”

From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026

The lab phone rang, and Ms. Freeman went to answer it as everyone geared up.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Investors are gearing up for the release of key data on jobs and inflation over the next week that could determine whether the Federal Reserve hikes rates at its next meeting in two weeks.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

"I still think in my muscle memory I'm gearing up for filming again and just waiting for the scripts," she says.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

Iran analyst Hamidreza Azizi said Trump appears to be gearing up to leverage Iran’s economic troubles to demand deeper concessions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Now, the trio is gearing up to release its debut album, “Somewhere Up There,” on Friday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

No doubt she’s gearing up for a Chat.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Related Words

• accessory
• apparatus
• harness
• instrument
• kit
• luggage
• machinery
• material
• paraphernalia
• stuff
• supply