Standard Lemma guide

bearward

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɛəwɔːd/
  • General-American: /ˈbɛəɹˌwɔɹd/

1

noun

Meaning 1

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bearleader, bear warden

Antonyms: none provided

History

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.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Old East Slavic: медвѣдникъ (medvědnikŭ) — someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader
  • Russian: медведево́д (medvedevód) — someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader
  • Russian: медве́дник (medvédnik) — someone who handles and keeps bears (and sometimes other animals) — see also bearleader