lear

lear
/lear/, n. Scot. and North Eng.
learning; instruction; lesson.
[1350-1400; late ME lere lesson, n. use of lere to teach, OE laeran; c. D leren, G lehren, Goth laisjan; akin to LORE]

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(as used in expressions)
Lear Edward
Lear Norman Milton
Lear William Powell

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▪ legendary English king
      legendary British king and central character of William Shakespeare's (Shakespeare, William) King Lear. One of the most moving of Shakespeare's tragic figures, Lear grows in self-awareness as he diminishes in authority and loses his illusions. Lear at the outset presents the very picture of foolish egotism and is tricked out of what he has expected to be a carefree retirement by his own need for flattery. Believing his treacherous daughters to be sincere in their extravagant expressions of love and devotion and spurning his daughter Cordelia, who expresses only her natural sense of love and filial duty, he rashly divides his kingdom between Regan and Goneril. By this act he loses not only his land and authority but his entourage and dignity as well. Regan, herself surprised at his response to Cordelia, remarks to Goneril, “Yet he hath ever but slenderly known himself.” As the plot unfolds and the extent of his folly becomes ever clearer, Lear rages at his impotence and goes mad. A changed man, he meets up with Cordelia and is able to say simply, “You must bear with me. / Pray you now, forget and forgive. / I am old and foolish.”

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Lear — or Leir can refer to any of the following:* Leir of Britain, a legendary king of the Britons. * King Leir , an anonymous play based on the legend of Leir of Britain, published in 1605. * King Lear , a tragedy by William Shakespeare, also based on …   Wikipedia

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  • Lear — /lear/, n. 1. Edward, 1812 88, English writer of humorous verse and landscape painter. 2. (italics) See King Lear. * * * (as used in expressions) Lear Edward Lear Norman Milton Lear William Powell * * * ▪ legendary English king       legendary… …   Universalium

  • LEAR (E.) — LEAR EDWARD (1812 1888) Dessinateur et peintre, Edward Lear, spécialiste d’ornithologie, auteur de livres de voyages, demeure essentiellement célèbre pour sa poésie de nonsense : poèmes comiques écrits pour les enfants d’une famille amie (comme… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Lear — Lear, Edward (1812 88) a British artist and poet, who wrote the Book of Nonsense, a collection of humorous poems Lear 2 Lear, King →↑King Lear …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • lear|y — «LIHR ee», adjective, lear|i|er, lear|i|est. = leery1. (Cf. ↑leery) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Lear — Lear, v. t. To learn. See {Lere}, to learn. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lear — Lear, n. Lore; lesson. [Obs.] Spenser. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lear — Lear, a. See {Leer}, a. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lear — Lear, n. An annealing oven. See {Leer}, n. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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