Mar 22, 2010

gear

Main Entry: 1gear 
Pronunciation: \ˈgir\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English gere, from Old Norse gervi, gǫrvi; akin to Old English gearwe equipment, clothing, gearu ready — more at yare
Date: 14th century
1 a : clothing, garments b : movable property : goods
2 : equipment, paraphernalia
3 a : the rigging of a ship or boat b : the harness especially of horses
4 dialect chiefly British : absurd talk : nonsense
5 dialect chiefly British : doings
6 a (1) : a mechanism that performs a specific function in a complete machine (2) : a toothed wheel (3) : working relation, position, order, or adjustment (4) : a level or pace of functioning 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
gear·less \-ləs\ adjective