wear

Everyday

1. To wear means to have clothes, shoes, glasses or jewellery on your body. tree →
2. To wear your hair a way means to have it that way. tree →
3. To wear out, or wear away, means to become thin, old or broken from use. tree →
4. Wear (noun) is clothes of one kind, like «sportswear», or damage from long use. tree →
5. To wear can also mean to have a title, name or look, not just clothes. tree →

In the lessons

In school maths: a word of the story; children wearing hats or shirts are counted, those not wearing are the rest. In science: rocks wear away (erosion); shoes wear out. In everyday life and safety: wear a helmet on a bike, wear sunscreen and a hat in the sun, school uniform. Phrases: «wear out», «wear off», «worn out» (very tired), «what to wear».

Examples

• 12 children wear glasses. tree →
• She wears a new dress. tree →
• How many are not wearing hats? tree →
• Each player wears 2 socks. tree →
• Always wear a helmet when you ride your bike. tree →
• In Australia kids wear hats at school to stay safe from the sun. tree →
• My trainers are worn out. tree →
• The waves wear away the cliffs. tree →
• He wears the title of the eldest son. tree →

Note

Past «wore», past participle «worn». You «wear» clothes but you «carry» a bag; «put on» is the action of dressing, «wear» is having it on. Do not confuse with «where». Maths: splits a group: those not wearing = total − those wearing. «Each wears 2» is a rate.

In Jewish tradition

The law forbids wearing a mix of wool and linen, called shaatnez, and forbids men and women from wearing the clothing of the other sex. In the Prophets and Writings it also means to put on a garment, such as a priest's ephod or the king's royal clothes, and "wear" can mean to wear down, as water wears stones.

Interpretation. Shaatnez is one of the "statutes" kept without a stated reason, and tradition still avoids such cloth today. Job's water wearing stones is read as a picture of how slowly hope can be worn away.

Examples

• Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together. (Torah DEU.22.11, JPS 1917) tree →
• Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee; for the thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. (Torah EXO.18.18, JPS 1917) tree →
• A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto the LORD thy God. (Torah DEU.22.5, JPS 1917) tree →
• The waters wear the stones; the overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth; so Thou destroyest the hope of man. (Writings JOB.14.19, JPS 1917) tree →
• and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. (Prophets 1SA.14.3, JPS 1917) tree →
• let royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and on whose head a crown royal is set; (Writings EST.6.8, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Past «wore», past participle «worn». You «wear» clothes but you «carry» a bag; «put on» is the action of dressing, «wear» is having it on. Do not confuse with «where». Maths: splits a group: those not wearing = total − those wearing. «Each wears 2» is a rate.