Jump To:

• lear
  lear

  noun

  learning; instruction; lesson.
• Lear
  Lear

  noun

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

lear

¹ American  

[leer] / lɪər /

noun

Scot. and North England.

1. learning; instruction; lesson.

---

Lear ² American  

[leer] / lɪər /

noun

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

2. (italics) King Lear.

---

Lear British  

/ lɪə /

noun

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

---

Etymology

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 lore ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lear Lear

O I will sing to you a sang, Will grieve your heart full sair; How the Clerk's twa sons o' Owsenford Have to learn some unco lear.

From English and Scottish Ballads, Volume II (of 8) by Various

Quhen the Play is best, it is best to lear.

From Collection of Scotch Proverbs by Pappity Stampoy

The culprit passed a sleepless night in the intolerable agony of lear.

From Rattlin the Reefer by Frederick Marryat

But aiblins, honest Master Heron Had, at the time, some dainty fair one To ware this theologic care on, And holy study; And tired o' sauls to waste his lear on, E'en tried the body.

From Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Robert Burns

Now Dickie of Dryhope led that band,   And the never a word of lear had he.

From Lyra Heroica A Book of Verse for Boys by Various

“She came in my office, started to read the lines, and forget it,” Lear said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

The English actor was also known for his collaboration with Dame Judi Dench and her husband, Michael Williams, and they starred in several stage productions together, including King Lear.

From BBC ● May 11, 2026

Palantir’s stock trades at 108 times forward earnings expectations, compared with 63 times expected earnings for Centrus Energy, about 14 times for Lennar and about 8 times for Lear, according to FactSet.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 16, 2026

It was TV as Rorschach test, where some viewers interpreted Archie as the hero and Mike as the fool, while others understood that Lear was on Mike’s side of every argument.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

Whisk, the cathedrals; whisk, whisk, King Lear and the Thoughts of Pascal.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley