bearer

American  

[bair-er] / ˈbɛər ər /

noun

• bearers
  plural

1. a person or thing that carries, upholds, or brings.

   The postman was the bearer of wonderful news today.

   It's not fair to you to be the only bearer of the household cares.

2. the person who presents an order for money or goods.

   Pay to the bearer.

3. a tree or plant that yields fruit or flowers.

4. the holder of rank or office; incumbent.

5. pallbearer.

6. a boy or man employed as a personal or household servant, especially in a colonial household in India.

   There were dozens of bearers on the safari.

7. Printing.

   1. furniture.

   2. one of several strips of metal fitted at the sides of a plate for support during inking and proving.

8. a joistlike member supporting the floorboards of a scaffold.

9. Furniture. bearing rail.

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bearer British  

/ ˈbɛərə /

noun

1. a person or thing that bears, presents, or upholds

2. a person who presents a note or bill for payment

3. 1. a native carrier, esp on an expedition

   2. a native servant

4. See pallbearer

5. the holder of a rank, position, office, etc

6. (modifier) finance payable to the person in possession

   bearer bonds

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bearers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bearer

First recorded in 1250–1300; bear ¹, + -er ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A bearer is a person who carries or delivers something. If you hate to be the bearer of bad news, don't become a traffic cop. If you're the flag bearer in a parade, it means you march at the front gripping a flag, and a coffin bearer holds one end of the coffin at a funeral. You'll often find the word in the phrase "bearer of bad news" or "bearer of bad tidings." In the mid-17th century, the word bearer was primarily used to mean "person who carried dead bodies to the grave."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bearer bearers

The Carmarthen star has also been chosen to be the Team Wales flag bearer for the closing ceremony tonight.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Before “Interview with the Vampire” and “The Vampire Lestat,” Hammer Film Productions’ gothic horror movies made “Dracula” their standard bearer.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026

When the couple married a year later, which included a civil ceremony at OpenAI with a robotic hand ring bearer, Amodei presented Brockman with a $100 check.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

Intel’s foundry business, which is aiming to attract external customers for its chip manufacturing, has also been a bearer of seemingly good news for investors.

From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026

No time to wonder how it had happened, or whether it could be mended; but he was the knife bearer, and he had to gather it up safely.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

In 2009, Ariane became her husband’s No. 2 at the Swiss bank, to the alarm of some culture bearers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026

Their relative normalcy, and that of fellow marrieds Amber Morrison and Jordan Faeth, is a soothing contrast to the textbook Fusco fiasco and the rest of the season’s red flag bearers.

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026

Cameras were supposed to be bearers of truth and armor against lies, vehicles of justice and agents of change.

From Slate ● Jan. 15, 2026

They have worked on ceremonies where dogs have been used as "flower girls" and bridesmaids, as well as ring bearers.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2025

Rachel Wood’s eyes focused for the first time on the three trunk bearers.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare