name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
lear
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.
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UK: /lɪə/
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US: /lɪəɹ/
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rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)
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General-American: /ˈlɪɹ/
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈlɪə/
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Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈliə/
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Scotland: /ˈliːɹ/
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/ˈlɛː/ East Anglia, cheer–chair merger
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homophone: leer
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homophone: lair (cheer–chair merger)
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CMU ARPABET: L IH1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
The name of a legendary early king of Britain, the central character in Shakespeare's King Lear.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 3
Clipping of Learjet.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
Examples
- First-generation Lears are beasts to fly.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
Something learned; a lesson.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Scotland, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Learning, lore; doctrine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Scotland, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
Alternative form of lehr.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
To teach.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Scotland, archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 8
To learn.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 9
Deliberate misspelling of learn
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet, alt-of, deliberate, misspelling
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
the hero of William Shakespeare's tragedy who was betrayed and mistreated by two of his scheming daughters
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: King Lear
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fictional character, fictitious character, character
noun
Meaning 11
British artist and writer of nonsense verse (1812-1888)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: Edward Lear
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: artist, creative person, humorist, humourist
History
Etymology
From Middle English laire, leire, lere, northern Middle English variants of lore, loare (“doctrine, teaching, lore”), from Old English lār (“lore”). More at lore.
See lehr.
From Middle English learen, leren (“to learn", also "to teach”).
A reference to the "Quality Learing Center", an allegedly fradulent Somali-American-run childcare center in Minneapolis, U.S., which closed in 2026.
Across languages
Translations
2 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Armenian: Լիր (Lir) — name of a legendary early king of Britain, the central character in Shakespeare's King Lear
- Russian: Лир (Lir) — name of a legendary early king of Britain, the central character in Shakespeare's King Lear