"bearward" meaning in English

See bearward in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈbɛəwɔːd/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈbɛəɹˌwɔɹd/ [General-American] Forms: bearwards [plural], bear-ward [alternative], berrord [alternative]
Etymology: From Middle English bereward (“someone who handles and keeps bears, bear keeper”), from ber, bere (“bear”) + ward, warde (“care, keeping”). By surface analysis, bear + ward. Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*bʰerH-|*wer-|id=brown|id2=heed}}, {{inh|en|enm|bereward|t=someone who handles and keeps bears, bear keeper}} Middle English bereward (“someone who handles and keeps bears, bear keeper”), {{surf|en|bear|ward|notext=1|type=exocentric}} By surface analysis, bear + ward Head templates: {{en-noun}} bearward (plural bearwards)
  1. (chiefly UK, historical) Someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals such as apes and bulls), especially for use in public entertainments such as baiting or dancing displays; a bearherd. Tags: UK, historical Synonyms: bearleader, bear warden Translations (someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader): медвѣдникъ (medvědnikŭ) [masculine] (Old East Slavic), медведево́д (medvedevód) [masculine] (Russian), медве́дник (medvédnik) [masculine] (Russian)

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰerH-",
        "4": "*wer-",
        "id": "brown",
        "id2": "heed"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bereward",
        "t": "someone who handles and keeps bears, bear keeper"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bereward (“someone who handles and keeps bears, bear keeper”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
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        "2": "bear",
        "3": "ward",
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        "type": "exocentric"
      },
      "expansion": "By surface analysis, bear + ward",
      "name": "surf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English bereward (“someone who handles and keeps bears, bear keeper”), from ber, bere (“bear”) + ward, warde (“care, keeping”). By surface analysis, bear + ward.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "bearwards",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bear-ward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "berrord",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "bearward (plural bearwards)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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    {
      "parts": [
        "bear",
        "ward"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              158,
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            ]
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          "ref": "1534 (date written), Thomas More, “A Treatice vpon the Passion of Chryste (Vnfinished) […]. The Fyrst Poynt, the Fall of Aungelles.”, in Marye Basset [i.e., Mary Basset], transl., edited by Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, page 1272, column 2:",
          "text": "But now how many men are there proude of that that is not theyrs at al? Is there no man proude of keping another mannes gate? […] [W]hat a brag-kyng maketh a beareward wͭ [with] his ſyluer buttened bawdrike, for pride of another mannes bere?",
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              31,
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            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1887, Charles James Ribton-Turner, A History of Vagrants and Vagrancy, and Beggars and Begging:",
          "text": "The former prohibition against bearwards is omitted iii this Act, probably because it had proved futile for the purpose intended, as a writer in \"Notes and Queries,\" speaking of this period, says:– \"I was never a witness of a bear-bait, but I well remember a poor brute who was kept alive for this sole purpose, at F——, in Lancashire.[…]\"",
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            [
              146,
              155
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2007, Lawrence M. Clopper, Elizabeth Baldwin, David Mills, Cheshire including Chester, page lxxv:",
          "text": "Congleton had a reputation for bearbaiting and went to some lengths to protect it, sending messengers to Knutsford and Bunbury to ensure that the bearwards got to the Congleton bearbait […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals such as apes and bulls), especially for use in public entertainments such as baiting or dancing displays; a bearherd."
      ],
      "id": "en-bearward-en-noun-WiCPPkjB",
      "links": [
        [
          "handles",
          "handle#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "keep",
          "keep"
        ],
        [
          "bears",
          "bear#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "animals",
          "animal#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "apes",
          "ape#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "bulls",
          "bull#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "public",
          "public#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "entertainment",
          "entertainment"
        ],
        [
          "baiting",
          "baiting#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "dancing",
          "dancing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "displays",
          "display#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "bearherd",
          "bearherd"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly UK, historical) Someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals such as apes and bulls), especially for use in public entertainments such as baiting or dancing displays; a bearherd."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "bearleader"
        },
        {
          "word": "bear warden"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "historical"
      ],
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        {
          "code": "orv",
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          "lang_code": "orv",
          "roman": "medvědnikŭ",
          "sense": "someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "медвѣдникъ"
        },
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          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "medvedevód",
          "sense": "someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "медведево́д"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "medvédnik",
          "sense": "someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "медве́дник"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbɛəwɔːd/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbɛəɹˌwɔɹd/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "bearward"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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        "id2": "heed"
      },
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      "name": "root"
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    {
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        "type": "exocentric"
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      "expansion": "By surface analysis, bear + ward",
      "name": "surf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English bereward (“someone who handles and keeps bears, bear keeper”), from ber, bere (“bear”) + ward, warde (“care, keeping”). By surface analysis, bear + ward.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "bearwards",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bear-ward",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "berrord",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "bearward (plural bearwards)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
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  "hyphenations": [
    {
      "parts": [
        "bear",
        "ward"
      ]
    }
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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        "British English",
        "English compound terms",
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
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        "English noun-noun compound nouns",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms derived from Middle English",
        "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
        "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰerH- (brown)",
        "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰerH- (pierce)",
        "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *wer- (heed)",
        "English terms inherited from Middle English",
        "English terms with historical senses",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
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              158,
              167
            ]
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          "ref": "1534 (date written), Thomas More, “A Treatice vpon the Passion of Chryste (Vnfinished) […]. The Fyrst Poynt, the Fall of Aungelles.”, in Marye Basset [i.e., Mary Basset], transl., edited by Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, page 1272, column 2:",
          "text": "But now how many men are there proude of that that is not theyrs at al? Is there no man proude of keping another mannes gate? […] [W]hat a brag-kyng maketh a beareward wͭ [with] his ſyluer buttened bawdrike, for pride of another mannes bere?",
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          "text": "The former prohibition against bearwards is omitted iii this Act, probably because it had proved futile for the purpose intended, as a writer in \"Notes and Queries,\" speaking of this period, says:– \"I was never a witness of a bear-bait, but I well remember a poor brute who was kept alive for this sole purpose, at F——, in Lancashire.[…]\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              146,
              155
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2007, Lawrence M. Clopper, Elizabeth Baldwin, David Mills, Cheshire including Chester, page lxxv:",
          "text": "Congleton had a reputation for bearbaiting and went to some lengths to protect it, sending messengers to Knutsford and Bunbury to ensure that the bearwards got to the Congleton bearbait […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals such as apes and bulls), especially for use in public entertainments such as baiting or dancing displays; a bearherd."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "handles",
          "handle#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "keep",
          "keep"
        ],
        [
          "bears",
          "bear#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "animals",
          "animal#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "apes",
          "ape#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "bulls",
          "bull#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "public",
          "public#Adjective"
        ],
        [
          "entertainment",
          "entertainment"
        ],
        [
          "baiting",
          "baiting#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "dancing",
          "dancing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "displays",
          "display#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "bearherd",
          "bearherd"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly UK, historical) Someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals such as apes and bulls), especially for use in public entertainments such as baiting or dancing displays; a bearherd."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "bearleader"
        },
        {
          "word": "bear warden"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "historical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbɛəwɔːd/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈbɛəɹˌwɔɹd/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "orv",
      "lang": "Old East Slavic",
      "lang_code": "orv",
      "roman": "medvědnikŭ",
      "sense": "someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "медвѣдникъ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "medvedevód",
      "sense": "someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "медведево́д"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "medvédnik",
      "sense": "someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "медве́дник"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bearward"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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