Definition of "gear" in English

noun

1. (uncountable) Equipment or paraphernalia, especially that used for an athletic endeavor.

2. Clothing; garments.

3. (obsolete) Goods; property; household items.

4. (countable) A wheel, wheel segment, or bar with grooves (teeth) engraved on the outer circumference, such that two such devices can interlock and convey motion from one to the other.

   • Near-synonyms: (wheel types) cog, cogwheel, gear wheel, gearwheel

5. (countable, automotive, cycling) A particular combination or choice of interlocking gears, such that a particular gear ratio is achieved; often selected via a shifter.

6. (aviation) Ellipsis of landing gear.

   • gear-up landing
   • Get the gear down quick!

7. (uncountable, slang) Recreational drugs, including steroids.

   • getting on gear

8. (uncountable, archaic) Stuff.

9. (obsolete) Business matters; affairs; concern.

10. (obsolete, UK, dialect) Anything worthless; nonsense; rubbish.

verb

1. (engineering, transitive) To provide with gearing; to fit with gears in order to achieve a desired gear ratio.

2. (engineering, intransitive) To be in gear, come into gear.

3. To dress; to put gear on; to harness.

4. (usually with to or toward(s)) To design or devise (something) so as to be suitable (for a particular type of person or a particular purpose).

   • This shop is not really geared towards people of our age.
   • They have geared the hotel mainly at tourists.

5. (finance) To borrow money in order to invest it in assets.

adjective

1. (chiefly Liverpool) great or fantastic