To wear out

To wear out
Wear Wear, v. t. [imp. {Wore} (w[=o]r); p. p. {Worn} (w[=o]rn); p. pr. & vb. n. {Wearing}. Before the 15th century wear was a weak verb, the imp. & p. p. being {Weared}.] [OE. weren, werien, AS. werian to carry, to wear, as arms or clothes; akin to OHG. werien, weren, to clothe, Goth. wasjan, L. vestis clothing, vestire to clothe, Gr. "enny`nai, Skr. vas. Cf. {Vest}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To carry or bear upon the person; to bear upon one's self, as an article of clothing, decoration, warfare, bondage, etc.; to have appendant to one's body; to have on; as, to wear a coat; to wear a shackle. [1913 Webster]

What compass will you wear your farthingale? --Shak. [1913 Webster]

On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore, Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

2. To have or exhibit an appearance of, as an aspect or manner; to bear; as, she wears a smile on her countenance. ``He wears the rose of youth upon him.'' --Shak. [1913 Webster]

His innocent gestures wear A meaning half divine. --Keble. [1913 Webster]

3. To use up by carrying or having upon one's self; hence, to consume by use; to waste; to use up; as, to wear clothes rapidly. [1913 Webster]

4. To impair, waste, or diminish, by continual attrition, scraping, percussion, on the like; to consume gradually; to cause to lower or disappear; to spend. [1913 Webster]

That wicked wight his days doth wear. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

The waters wear the stones. --Job xiv. 19. [1913 Webster]

5. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a channel; to wear a hole. [1913 Webster]

6. To form or shape by, or as by, attrition. [1913 Webster]

Trials wear us into a liking of what, possibly, in the first essay, displeased us. --Locke. [1913 Webster]

{To wear away}, to consume; to impair, diminish, or destroy, by gradual attrition or decay.

{To wear off}, to diminish or remove by attrition or slow decay; as, to wear off the nap of cloth.

{To wear on} or {To wear upon}, to wear. [Obs.] ``[I] weared upon my gay scarlet gites [gowns.]'' --Chaucer.

{To wear out}. (a) To consume, or render useless, by attrition or decay; as, to wear out a coat or a book. (b) To consume tediously. ``To wear out miserable days.'' --Milton. (c) To harass; to tire. ``[He] shall wear out the saints of the Most High.'' --Dan vii. 25. (d) To waste the strength of; as, an old man worn out in military service.

{To wear the breeches}. See under {Breeches}. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • wear out — {v.} 1a. To use or wear until useless. * /Bobby got a toy truck that would run on a battery, and he used it so much that he soon wore it out./ * /The stockings are so worn out that they can t be mended any more./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), USE UP. 1b …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • wear out — {v.} 1a. To use or wear until useless. * /Bobby got a toy truck that would run on a battery, and he used it so much that he soon wore it out./ * /The stockings are so worn out that they can t be mended any more./ Compare: GIVE OUT(4), USE UP. 1b …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • wear out something — wear out (something) to use something so much that it can no longer be used. Randy s been cooking in a kitchen that s so old, almost everything in it has simply worn out. He wore out a pair of running shoes every three months. Usage notes:… …   New idioms dictionary

  • wear out — (something) to use something so much that it can no longer be used. Randy s been cooking in a kitchen that s so old, almost everything in it has simply worn out. He wore out a pair of running shoes every three months. Usage notes: sometimes used… …   New idioms dictionary

  • wear out one's welcome — To stay too long or visit too often • • • Main Entry: ↑welcome * * * wear out (or overstay or outstay) one s welcome stay as a visitor longer than one is wanted …   Useful english dictionary

  • wear out one's welcome — {v. phr.}, {informal} To visit somewhere too long or come back too often so that you are not welcome any more. * /The Smith children have worn out their welcome at our house because they never want to go home./ * /This hot weather has worn out… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • wear out one's welcome — {v. phr.}, {informal} To visit somewhere too long or come back too often so that you are not welcome any more. * /The Smith children have worn out their welcome at our house because they never want to go home./ * /This hot weather has worn out… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • wear out your welcome — see ↑welcome, 4 • • • Main Entry: ↑wear …   Useful english dictionary

  • wear out your welcome — wear out (your/its) welcome to stay somewhere too long, making people tired of seeing you. By the time Buzz left, he had worn out his welcome with almost everyone. The TV comedy hasn t worn out its welcome, probably because its characters are so… …   New idioms dictionary

  • wear out its welcome — wear out (your/its) welcome to stay somewhere too long, making people tired of seeing you. By the time Buzz left, he had worn out his welcome with almost everyone. The TV comedy hasn t worn out its welcome, probably because its characters are so… …   New idioms dictionary

  • wear out — index consume, deplete, diminish, exhaust (deplete), impair, misemploy, mistreat, spend …   Law dictionary

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