brown bear

American  

noun

1. any of several medium-sized to large bears of the species Ursus arctos, inhabiting North America and Eurasia in dwindling populations, characterized by an upturned muzzle and a hump high on the back and ranging from light tan to near black; formerly considered three distinct species and often still referred to as such: U. horribilis, the grizzly bear; U. middendorffi, the Kodiac bear; and U. arctos, comprising European and Asian brown bears.

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brown bear British  

noun

1. a large ferocious brownish bear, Ursus arctos , inhabiting temperate forests of North America, Europe, and Asia See also grizzly bear Kodiak bear

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Etymology

Origin of brown bear

First recorded in 1775–85

Compare meaning

How does brown-bear compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• brown bear vs. grizzly bear

Example Sentences

"We recovered two pendants: one made from a shell and another from a brown bear tooth," said Tornero.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

Later, when the AI reported a brown bear moving in the yard, she was less concerned.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Several weeks later a large brown bear was captured on video running through the centre of the nearby town of Liptovsky Mikolas in broad daylight, bounding past cars and lunging at people on the pavement.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2025

Dr Andrew Kitchener, of National Museums Scotland - where the bear fossils are held - said polar and brown bear habitats may have overlapped thousands of years ago as they do today.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024

The dad was a giant brown bear, they said.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri