: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a complete machine
steering gear
(2)
: a toothed wheel
(3)
: working relation, position, order, or adjustment
got her career in gear
(4)
: a level or pace of functioning
kicked their performance into high gear
b
: one of two or more adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine mechanical advantage, relative speed, and direction of travel
Noun
I somehow managed to pack all my gear into one suitcase.
soldiers in full combat gear
a complicated arrangement of gears and shafts
a car with four forward gears
Halfway up the hill, my bike slipped out of gear.
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Noun
Veken 8-set Packing Cubes Apple AirPods Pro 2 Best Outdoor Gear Deals
Nature enthusiasts can take advantage of massive deals on hiking, beach, and camping gear.—Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 21 May 2025 The downsides are that DEET smells awful, is oily, and can damage anything with plastic in it, like synthetic clothing and camping gear.—Kristin Canning, Wired News, 21 May 2025
Verb
This is a concession geared toward satiating blue-state Republicans in states like New York and California.—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 21 May 2025 Besides Peak Points, YouTube made other announcements geared toward advertisers.—Zach Vallese, CNBC, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for gear
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English gere, from Old Norse gervi, gǫrvi; akin to Old English gearwe equipment, clothing, gearu ready — more at yare
: one of the adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine the direction of travel and the relative speed of the engine and the vehicle
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