bearing
22
5.0
- noun
- /ˈbɛrɪŋ/
- The navigator adjusted the compass to ensure they had the correct bearing for their journey north.
- lose your bearings
- get your bearings
- take one's bearings
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Watch on YouTubeAnd then where do we take our bearings from, you know?
- And then where do we take our bearings from, you know?
- We didn't even have a bearing for England.
- So we get a world in which you can't even really get your bearings anymore.
- Please surface and reset your bearings.
- And they had that was every feature that a Russian torpedo would have in terms of the constant bearing decreasing range at a very rapid rate.
- It's meant to say that when you're around these circumstances, it's often times very hard to keep your bearings.
- He was drinking a lot, but he was also, the tempo was so high that we really didn't have time to get our bearings.
Examples
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You'll soon get your bearings.
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So we get a world in which you can't even really get your bearings anymore.
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We're trying to find the bearing from where we're at back to port.
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And now we want to find this bearing, what is going to be that bearing, right?
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And then where do we take our bearings from, you know?
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Just give me a minute to get my bearings, all right?
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Help us get our bearings in the morning.
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We need to get back to the camp and get our bearings.
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When she lost sight of the fire, she had to take her bearings from the stars.
Fiction book (1996) -
As they walk through the thicket, Roy tries to get his bearings by finding some familiar stone.
Fiction book (1992)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
3
3.4
A device with small metal balls that helps machine parts move with less rubbing
- Formal
1
8.8
Saying false things in court on purpose after promising to tell the truth
- Specialized
1
5.5
A machine part with small round pieces that roll to let other parts move smoothly
- Specialized
1
5.5
A strong piece of wood or metal that holds the weight of parts of a building
- Archaic
1
9.9
A rein used to keep a horse's head raised while pulling a carriage or when someone rides it
- Specialized
1
7.6
A metal made by mixing metals that helps machine parts move smoothly
- Specialized
1
6.2
A small part with thin metal rollers that helps a shaft turn smoothly
- Specialized
A direction directly opposite the one you found that you use to check your position
How Precise
Surface Forms
Morphology
bearing = bear (opaque) = bear + ing
The navigational meaning comes from a specialized sense of 'bear' meaning 'lie in a direction', which is not predictable for most learners.
Etymology
The word bearing comes from the old English word bear, once written beran, which means 'to carry'. In navigation your bearing is the direction you are 'carrying' or pointing toward, so losing your bearing means losing your sense of direction.