gear

B2 Topic:Tools, Machines & Construction

US /ˈɡiə/ UK /ˈɡɪə/ See IPA manual

Freq #2917

Meanings

1

noun
The equipment, clothing, or tools needed for a particular activity.

Don't forget to pack your camping gear for the trip.
2

noun
A toothed wheel that turns with others to control speed or power in a machine or vehicle.

He changed into a lower gear as the car climbed the hill.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a toothed wheel that turns... cogcogwheelgear wheel

Word family

Forms gearedgearinggears

Derived forms brakegearde-geardegeardrawgeareyegearfootgearforegeargear-wheelgearboxgeardogearheadgearjammer

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

Idioms (1)

See all

shift gears
to change your approach, activity, or pace

Etymology

From Middle English gere, a borrowing from Old Norse gervi, from Proto-Germanic *garwijaną (“to prepare”). See also adjective yare, yar from the same root via Old English.

gere Middle English gervi Old Norse *garwijaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Tools, Machines & Construction

External links

# gear

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈɡiə/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɡɪə/
**Frequency rank:** 2917

## Meanings
1. The equipment, clothing, or tools needed for a particular activity.
2. A toothed wheel that turns with others to control speed or power in a machine or vehicle.

## Examples
- Don't forget to pack your camping gear for the trip.
- He changed into a lower gear as the car climbed the hill.

## Derived Forms
- brakegear
- de-gear
- degear
- drawgear
- eyegear
- footgear
- foregear
- gear-wheel
- gearbox
- geardo
- gearhead
- gearjammer

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: gere
- Root: gervi
- Root: *garwijaną

## Etymology
From Middle English gere, a borrowing from Old Norse gervi, from Proto-Germanic *garwijaną (“to prepare”). See also adjective yare, yar from the same root via Old English.

## AI Etymology
Gear comes from Middle English gere, a borrowing from Old Norse gervi, from Proto-Germanic *garwijaną (“to prepare”). See also adjective yare, yar from the same root via Old English. In current use, the main senses are “The equipment, clothing, or tools needed for a particular activity” and “A toothed wheel that turns with others to control speed or power in a machine or vehicle”.

## Topics
- Tools, Machines & Construction

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