Illustration of gear
- G gear 6a(2)
2
: equipment, paraphernalia
fishing gear
3
a
: the rigging of a ship or boat
b
: the harness especially of horses
4
dialectal, chiefly British
: absurd talk : nonsense
5
dialectal, chiefly British
: doings
6
a(1)
: 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
geared; gearing; gears
1
a
: to provide (machinery) with gearing (see gearing sense 2)
b
: to connect by gearing (see gearing sense 1)
2
a
: to make ready for effective operation
b
: to adjust so as to match, blend with, or satisfy something
gearing wages to productivity
1
a
British, of machinery
: to be in gear : mesh
b
: shift sense 1c
gear down
2
: to become adjusted so as to match, blend, or harmonize
The industry is geared to meet growing consumer demand.
Examples of gear in a Sentence
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
And imagine also having to move all of that gear internationally?
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 2 June 2025
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2025
This will set you up with a $150 bonus or a $1,000 first bet safety net on any game or gear you up for the NBA Finals and more this week.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gear
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Noun
Noonan squeezed uncomfortably inside the fuselage, wedged amid fuel tanks and gear.
—Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
And imagine also having to move all of that gear internationally?
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 2 June 2025
Verb
It is geared toward mega-rich business travelers, air taxi operators and anyone who wants to skip traffic and simply fly over it instead.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 3 June 2025
This will set you up with a $150 bonus or a $1,000 first bet safety net on any game or gear you up for the NBA Finals and more this week.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gear
Cite this Entry
“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gear
1 of 2 noun1
: equipment sense 2
camping gear
electronic gear
2
a
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a machine
steering gear
b
: a toothed wheel : cogwheel
3
a
: working order, relation, or adjustment
got her career in gear
b
: 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
gear
2 of 2 verb1
: to provide or connect with gearing
2
: to prepare for operation
gear up for production
3
: to make suitable
a book geared for children
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