WEAR (3)

Wear, v. t. [imp. Wore (?); p. p. Worn (?); 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. �, Skr. vas. Cf. Vest.]] 1. 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.
What compass will you wear your farthingale? Shak. On her white breast a sparkling cross s�� wore, Which Jews might kiss, and infidels adore. Pope. 2. 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.
His innocent gestures wear A meaning half divine. Keble. 3. 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.
4. 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.
That wicked wight his days doth wear. Spenser. The waters wear the stones. Job xiv. 19. 5. 5. To cause or make by friction or wasting; as, to wear a channel; to wear a hole.
6. 6. To form or shape by, or as by, attrition.
Trials wear us into a liking of what, possibly, in the first essay, displeased us. Locke. 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 upon, to wear. “ weared upon my gay scarlet gites ” 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. “ 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.