Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bearward

/ˈbɛəɹˌwɔɹd/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: bear-ward
IPA: /ˈbɛəɹˌwɔɹd/

14

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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.

British usage

Example Sentences

"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?"
"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.[…]""
"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 […]"

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.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *bʰerH-, bereward

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbɛəɹˌwɔɹd/
British English: /ˈbɛəwɔːd/

Usage

British usage

Inflected Forms

bearwards (plural) bear-ward (alternative) berrord (alternative)

Synonyms

bearleader bear warden

Questions

How do you pronounce bearward?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɛəɹˌwɔɹd/.
What does bearward mean?: 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.
Where does bearward come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce bearward

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bearward”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɛəɹˌwɔɹd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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