lear

[ leer ]

/ lɪər /

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noun Scot. and North England.

learning; instruction; lesson.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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 lore¹

Words nearby lear

leapling, leap of faith, leap second, leapt, leap year, lear, lear board, lea-rig, learn, learn by heart, learned

Other definitions for lear (2 of 2)

Lear

[ leer ]

/ lɪər /

noun

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

(italics) King Lear.

How to use lear in a sentence

Shakespeare’s play begins with Lear naming his heirs and ends with those heirs betraying him.
9 Clues That Set Up Kendall’s Big Cliffhanger on Succession|Eliana Dockterman|December 6, 2021|Time
A little-known fact about King Lear is that many of its monologues double perfectly as speeches to recite in the mirror when you’ve just been passed over for a promotion.
Why rejection stings so hard for internal job applicants|Sarah Todd|October 15, 2021|Quartz
When not attending to his own woes, he maintained a frantic schedule of trials and other court appearances for clients, often piloting his own Lear jet across the country for appointments.
F. Lee Bailey, defense lawyer for the famous and infamous, dies at 87|Paul W. Valentine|June 3, 2021|Washington Post
Airing in the years of the Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter administrations, All in the Family had much to explore, resulting in both praise and death threats for Lear, who earned a spot on Nixon’s enemies list.
How a Foulmouthed Bigot Named Archie Bunker Charmed—and Changed—America|Daniel S. Levy|February 9, 2021|Time

As part of Lear’s televised lesson plan, he pushed to break TV taboos, much to the consternation of CBS head censor William Tankersley.
How a Foulmouthed Bigot Named Archie Bunker Charmed—and Changed—America|Daniel S. Levy|February 9, 2021|Time
King Lear becomes Lear texting “okay who wants a kingdom,” to which Goneril replies “me me I do.”
What Would Jane Eyre Sext?|Jennie Yabroff|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A new book from Mallory Ortberg imagines what literary legends including King Lear and Jane Eyre would have texted.
What Would Jane Eyre Sext?|Jennie Yabroff|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley Lear gave away his kingdom.
Book Bag: 5 Novels Shakespeare Sort of Wrote|Lois Leveen|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If it were not the case, then there would be a Jonestown after every performance of King Lear.
Martin Amis Talks About Nazis, Novels, and Cute Babies|Ronald K. Fried|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But he loved showing off the Lear as the party favor for a Hollywood that had everything.
Frank Sinatra and the Birth of the Jet Set|William Stadiem|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"'King Lear' may be recognized as the perfect model of the dramatic art of the whole world," says Shelley.
Tolstoy on Shakespeare|Leo Tolstoy
The drama of "Lear" begins with a scene giving the conversation between two courtiers, Kent and Gloucester.
Tolstoy on Shakespeare|Leo Tolstoy
Goneril's steward appears, and behaves rudely to Lear, for which Kent knocks him down.
Tolstoy on Shakespeare|Leo Tolstoy
But they are lost among long and high-flown speeches, which Lear keeps incessantly uttering quite inappropriately.
Tolstoy on Shakespeare|Leo Tolstoy
But Regan says she will receive him only with twenty-five and then Lear makes up his mind to go back to Goneril who admits fifty.
Tolstoy on Shakespeare|Leo Tolstoy

British Dictionary definitions for lear

Lear

/ (lɪə) /

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012