mear

See also: méar

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /mɪə(ɹ)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /mɪ(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
• Homophone: mere

Noun

mear (plural mears)

1. Alternative form of mere (“boundary”).
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     So huge a mind could not in lesser rest,
     Ne in small mears contain his glory great

See also

• mere

References

• “mear”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• mera, Amer., rame, Erma, Maré, Maer, Mera, Ream, amer., Arem, arme, ramé, mare, ream

Dutch Low Saxon

Etymology

Cognate with Dutch maar.

Conjunction

mear

1. but

Irish

Etymology

Possibly related to English merry and its Germanic cognates.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mʲaɾˠ/

Adjective

mear (genitive singular masculine mear, genitive singular feminine mire, plural meara, comparative mire)

1. quick, fast, nimble, lively, spirited
2. precipitate, hasty, rash; quick-tempered, fiery

   Synonym: tobann

3. (literary)
   1. mad, crazy
   2. furious, raging, mad angry

Declension

Declension of mear

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	mear	mhear	meara; mheara²
Vocative	mhear		meara
Genitive		mire	meara	mear
Dative	mear; mhear¹	mhear; mhear (archaic)	meara; mheara²
Comparative	níos mire
Superlative	is mire

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Verb

mear (present analytic mearann, future analytic mearfaidh, verbal noun mearadh, past participle meartha)

1. (transitive, intransitive) Alternative form of mearaigh (“derange, distract; bewilder, confuse; excite, infuriate; bother, trouble; become distracted, bewildered; become infuriated”)

Conjugation

conjugation of mear (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	mearaim	mearann tú; mearair†	mearann sé, sí	mearaimid	mearann sibh	mearann siad; mearaid†	a mhearann; a mhearas / a mearann*; a mearas*	meartar
	past	mhear mé; mhearas	mhear tú; mhearais	mhear sé, sí	mhearamar; mhear muid	mhear sibh; mhearabhair	mhear siad; mhearadar	a mhear / ar mhear*	mearadh
	past habitual	mhearainn / mearainn‡‡	mheartá / meartᇇ	mhearadh sé, sí / mearadh sé, s퇇	mhearaimis; mhearadh muid / mearaimis‡‡; mearadh muid‡‡	mhearadh sibh / mearadh sibh‡‡	mhearaidís; mhearadh siad / mearaidís‡‡; mearadh siad‡‡	a mhearadh / a mearadh*	mheartaí / mearta퇇
future		mearfaidh mé; mearfad	mearfaidh tú; mearfair†	mearfaidh sé, sí	mearfaimid; mearfaidh muid	mearfaidh sibh	mearfaidh siad; mearfaid†	a mhearfaidh; a mhearfas / a mearfaidh*; a mearfas*	mearfar
conditional		mhearfainn / mearfainn‡‡	mhearfá / mearfᇇ	mhearfadh sé, sí / mearfadh sé, s퇇	mhearfaimis; mhearfadh muid / mearfaimis‡‡; mearfadh muid‡‡	mhearfadh sibh / mearfadh sibh‡‡	mhearfaidís; mhearfadh siad / mearfaidís‡‡; mearfadh siad‡‡	a mhearfadh / a mearfadh*	mhearfaí / mearfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go meara mé; go mearad†	go meara tú; go mearair†	go meara sé, sí	go mearaimid; go meara muid	go meara sibh	go meara siad; go mearaid†	—	go meartar
	past	dá mearainn	dá meartá	dá mearadh sé, sí	dá mearaimis; dá mearadh muid	dá mearadh sibh	dá mearaidís; dá mearadh siad	—	dá meartaí
imperative		mearaim	mear	mearadh sé, sí	mearaimis	mearaigí; mearaidh†	mearaidís	—	meartar
verbal noun		mearadh
past participle		meartha

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
mear	mhear	not applicable
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “mear”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “mear”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “mear”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Portuguese

Etymology

From Late Latin mediāre, from Latin medius. Compare mediar (a borrowed doublet).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /meˈa(ʁ)/ [meˈa(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /meˈa(ʁ)/ [meˈa(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /meˈa(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /meˈa(ʁ)/ [meˈa(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /meˈa(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmjaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmjaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈmja.ɾi/

• Homophone: miar (Portugal)
• Hyphenation: me‧ar

Verb

mear (first-person singular present meio, first-person singular preterite meei, past participle meado)

1. to halve (divide into two)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of mear (e becomes ei when stressed) (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	mear
Personal	mear	meares	mear	mearmos	meardes	mearem
Gerund
	meando
Past participle
Masculine	meado			meados
Feminine	meada			meadas
Indicative
Present	meio	meias	meia	meamos	meais	meiam
Imperfect	meava	meavas	meava	meávamos	meáveis	meavam
Preterite	meei	measte	meou	meamos1, meámos2	meastes	mearam
Pluperfect	meara	mearas	meara	meáramos	meáreis	mearam
Future	mearei	mearás	meará	mearemos	meareis	mearão
Conditional	mearia	mearias	mearia	mearíamos	mearíeis	meariam
Subjunctive
Present	meie	meies	meie	meemos	meeis	meiem
Imperfect	measse	measses	measse	meássemos	meásseis	meassem
Future	mear	meares	mear	mearmos	meardes	mearem
Imperative
Affirmative		meia	meie	meemos	meai	meiem
Negative (não)		não meies	não meie	não meemos	não meeis	não meiem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Related terms

• meado
• meio

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin mēiere, reinterpreted in Vulgar Latin as a first-conjugation verb (*mēiāre). Compare Portuguese mijar and English micturate.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /meˈaɾ/ [meˈaɾ]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: me‧ar

Verb

mear (first-person singular present meo, first-person singular preterite meé, past participle meado)

1. (vulgar) to piss, to pee

   Synonyms: orinar, echar una meada

2. (vulgar, reflexive) to wet, to urinate accidentally in or on

Conjugation

    Conjugation of mear (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			mear
gerund			meando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		meado		meada
		plural		meados		meadas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	meo	meastú meásvos	mea	meamos	meáis	mean
	imperfect	meaba	meabas	meaba	meábamos	meabais	meaban
	preterite	meé	measte	meó	meamos	measteis	mearon
	future	mearé	mearás	meará	mearemos	mearéis	mearán
	conditional	mearía	mearías	mearía	mearíamos	mearíais	mearían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	mee	meestú meésvos2	mee	meemos	meéis	meen
	imperfect (ra)	meara	mearas	meara	meáramos	mearais	mearan
	imperfect (se)	mease	meases	mease	meásemos	measeis	measen
	future1	meare	meares	meare	meáremos	meareis	mearen
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		meatú meávos	mee	meemos	mead	meen
	negative		no mees	no mee	no meemos	no meéis	no meen

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of mear

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive mear
	dative	mearme	mearte	mearle, mearse	mearnos	mearos	mearles, mearse
	accusative	mearme	mearte	mearlo, mearla, mearse	mearnos	mearos	mearlos, mearlas, mearse
with gerund meando
	dative	meándome	meándote	meándole, meándose	meándonos	meándoos	meándoles, meándose
	accusative	meándome	meándote	meándolo, meándola, meándose	meándonos	meándoos	meándolos, meándolas, meándose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative mea
	dative	méame	méate	méale	méanos	not used	méales
	accusative	méame	méate	méalo, méala	méanos	not used	méalos, méalas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative meá
	dative	meame	meate	meale	meanos	not used	meales
	accusative	meame	meate	mealo, meala	meanos	not used	mealos, mealas
with formal second-person singular imperative mee
	dative	méeme	not used	méele, méese	méenos	not used	méeles
	accusative	méeme	not used	méelo, méela, méese	méenos	not used	méelos, méelas
with first-person plural imperative meemos
	dative	not used	meémoste	meémosle	meémonos	meémoos	meémosles
	accusative	not used	meémoste	meémoslo, meémosla	meémonos	meémoos	meémoslos, meémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative mead
	dative	meadme	not used	meadle	meadnos	meaos	meadles
	accusative	meadme	not used	meadlo, meadla	meadnos	meaos	meadlos, meadlas
with formal second-person plural imperative meen
	dative	méenme	not used	méenle	méennos	not used	méenles, méense
	accusative	méenme	not used	méenlo, méenla	méennos	not used	méenlos, méenlas, méense

Derived terms

• más viejo que mear de pie
• meada
• meadero
• meado
• mear fuera del tiesto
• mearse de risa
• meón

 

Further reading

• “mear”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

West Frisian

Etymology 1

Cognate with Dutch meer. Also compare the native form mar (“lake”). This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɪə̯r/

Noun

mear c (plural mearen, diminutive mearke)

1. lake

Further reading

“mear”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

Etymology 2

From Old Frisian māra, from Proto-West Germanic *maiʀō.

Determiner

mear

1. comparative degree of folle: more

Adverb

mear

1. To a greater degree or extent, more
2. Used to form the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs where -er cannot be used.

Related terms

• folle
• meast

Further reading

“mear”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011