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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Wear \Wear\, verb (used with an object) [imp. {Wore} (w[=o]r); p. p. {Worn} (w[=o]rn); p. pr. & vb. n. {Wearing}. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being {Weared}.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin to OHG. werien, weren, to clothe, Goth. wasjan, L. vestis clothing, vestire to clothe, Gr. "enny'nai, Skr. vas. Cf. {Vest}.]
1. To carry or bear upon the person; to bear upon one's self, as an article of clothing, decoration, warfare, bondage, etc.; to have appendant to one's body; to have on; as, to wear a coat; to wear a shackle.
What compass will you wear your farthingale? --Shak.
On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore, Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore. --Pope.
2. To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or manner; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance. ''He wears the rose of youth upon him.'' --Shak.
His innocent gestures wear A meaning half divine. --Keble.
3. To use up by carrying or having upon one's self; hence, to consume by use; to waste; to use up; as, to wear clothes rapidly.
4. To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend.
That wicked wight his days doth wear. --Spenser.
The waters wear the stones. --Job xiv. 19.
5. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a channel; to wear a hole.
6. To form or shape by, or as by, attrition.
Trials wear us into a liking of what, possibly, in the first essay, displeased us. --Locke.
{To wear away}, to consume; to impair, diminish, or destroy, by gradual attrition or decay.
{To wear off}, to diminish or remove by attrition or slow decay; as, to wear off the nap of cloth.
{To wear on} or {To wear upon}, to wear. [Obs.] ''[I] weared upon my gay scarlet gites [gowns.]'' --Chaucer.
{To wear out}. (a) To consume, or render useless, by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book. (b) To consume tediously. ''To wear out miserable days.'' --Milton. (c) To harass; to tire. ''[He] shall wear out the saints of the Most High.'' --Dan vii. 25. (d) To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in military service.
{To wear the breeches}. See under {Breeches}. [Colloq.]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Wearing \Wear"ing\, noun
1. The act of one who wears; the manner in which a thing wears; use; conduct; consumption.
Belike he meant to ward, and there to see his wearing. --Latimer.
2. That which is worn; clothes; garments. [Obs.]
Give me my nightly wearing and adieu. --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Wearing \Wear"ing\, adjective Pertaining to, or designed for, wear; as, wearing apparel.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
wearing
adjective: producing exhaustion; "an exhausting march"; "the visit was especially wearing" [syn: {exhausting}, {tiring}, {wearying}]
noun
1: (geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it) [syn: {erosion}, {eroding}, {eating away}, {wearing away}]
2: the act of having on your person as a covering or adornment; "she bought it for everyday wear" [syn: {wear}]
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