also Cuffee, a characteristic name among slaves, by 1713. Also sometimes in 19c. "a black bear."

masc. proper name, from French ourson, diminutive of ours "bear," from Latin ursus (see arctic).

"carried, sustained, endured," past tense and participle of bear (v.) in all senses not related to birth. See born.

Old English beo wulf, literally "bee-wolf," "a wolf to bees;" a kenning for "bear." See bee (n.) + wolf (n.).

late 15c., "continued existence in time;" see endure + -ance. Meaning "ability to bear suffering, etc." is from 1660s.

by 1830, from fossil + -ferous "producing, containing," from Latin ferre "to bear, carry" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry").

order of Protozoa furnished with a shell, 1835, Modern Latin, neuter plural of foraminifer "bearing holes," from Latin foramen "hole, opening, orifice" (from PIE root *bhorh- "hole") + -fer "bearing," from ferre "to bear" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children"). So called because the shells usually are perforated by pores. Related: Foraminiferal.

obsolete or archaic past tense of swear (v.), common 15c.-17c. by analogy of past tense of bear (v.).

1859, "formation or development of cells by budding or division," from French prolifération, from prolifère "producing offspring," from Latin proles "offspring" (see prolific) + ferre "to bear, carry" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children"). The meaning "enlargement, extension, increase in number" is from 1920; especially of nuclear weapons by 1960 in the jargon of the U.S. State Department.

also childbearing, "bringing forth of a child, the action of producing children," late 14c., from child + verbal noun of bear (v.). As an adjective from late 14c.