From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwearwear1 /weə $ wer/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense wore /wɔː $ wɔːr/, past participle worn /wɔːn $ wɔːrn/) 1 on your body [transitive]DCWEAR CLOTHES to have something such as clothes, shoes, or jewellery on your body Susanna was wearing a black silk dress. He wore glasses for reading.wear a seat belt (=have it around yourself)wear black/white/red etc Usually I wear black, grey, or brown.wear something to a party/a dance/an interview etc I’m wearing a scarlet dress to the party.► see thesaurus at dressRegisterIn everyday English, people often say that someone has something on rather than is wearing something:She had on a black silk dress.2 DCBhair [transitive] to have your hair or beard in a particular style or shape She wore her hair loose.3 damage [intransitive, transitive]DAMAGE to become thinner or weaker after continuous use, or to make something do this The cushions are starting to wear a little. His jeans have worn thin at the knees. You’ve worn a hole in your sock.4 → wear well5 expression [transitive]EXPRESSION ON somebody'S FACE to have a particular expression on your facewear a smile/frown/grin etc His face wore a welcoming smile.6 → something is wearing thin7 → wear the trousers8 → wear your heart on your sleeve —wearable adjective → wear away → wear down → wear off → wear on → wear out→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
wear• I wear a lot of black.• Everything she does, the clothes she wears and her boyfriends will be minutely scrutinized.• The other, facing us, wears aqua, four thin black stripes low on her hips.• Carolyn always wore bright colors like red.• Suitable for people who wear glasses.• Rosa was wearing her hair in a long braid down her back.• He was six feet two, kept fit by riding daily in Central Park, and always wore jodhpurs to work.• It works less, rests more, and consequently takes a much longer time to wear out.• She wears sandals, even in the winter.• She was wearing shorts and a T-shirt.• Do you think I can wear these shoes with this dress?• Were you wearing your jacket when we got on the bus?• There is no reason to wear your watch this way, except that your father told you to do so.wear black/white/red etc• Balanchine decreed that the swans would wear black.• He was wearing white flannel trousers and a white shirt with a cravat at his neck.• A commando unit, wearing black jerseys, gloves and skull-caps, armed with bazookas, marched past.• Off duty he wears white T-shirts.• Mr Alsop generally wore a velvet smoking jacket to dinner; the young men wore black tie.• She wore black tights, and maroon socks that stuck up above her boots.• He was wearing black track suit bottoms, black white and yellow T-shirt and three-quarter length yellow coat.• She will wear black until the day she dies.worn thin• But today her patience had worn thin.• No wonder some of the gloss on the original Barcelona Declaration seems to have worn thin!• Truth is, my patience with generalizations has worn thin.wear a smile/frown/grin etc• The city wears a smile, and the arts that endure are valued.• Each wore a frown as stubborn as the other's.wearwear2 ●○○ noun [uncountable] 1 DCCthe clothes worn for a particular occasion or activity, or by a particular group of peopleevening/casual/leisure etc wear a new range of casual wear bridal wear the children’s wear department → footwear, menswear► see thesaurus at clothes2 DAMAGEdamage caused by continuous use over a long period Replace your trainers when they start to show signs of wear. Check the equipment for wear and tear.3 USE somethingthe amount of use an object, piece of clothing etc has had, or the use you can expect to get from it The dress stood up to the wear small children give their clothes. You’ll get years of wear out of that coat. → the worse for wear at worse1(7)COLLOCATIONSadjectivesevening wear formal (=clothes worn to formal events in the evening)The band were dressed in evening wear.casual wearThe company makes stylish casual wear for men and women.leisure wearThis is leisure wear for active people.formal wearActresses were dressed in everything from formal wear to miniskirts. bridal weara bridal wear shopmaternity wear (=for pregnant women)The shop sells comfortable and fashionable maternity wear for every occasion.children’s/men’s/women’s wearthe children’s wear section of the storedesigner wearI can’t afford designer wear. Examples from the Corpus
wear• The company's line of casual wear is primarily sold in large discount chain stores.• a shop that specializes in evening wear• Architectural details there were few and those were the worse for wear.• Dalton said that the machine showed signs of heavy wear and had not been well-maintained.• An inner spiral has also been added to deflect swirling grain from the cyclone's inlet pipe, minimising wear.• This type of sofa can take a lot of wear.• After five years, the stadium is beginning to show signs of wear.• It is sometimes possible to determine when this procedure has been used, by examining the wear patterns of the gears.• Excessive tyre wear may be caused by faulty brakes.evening/casual/leisure etc wear• In the following series the reliance on women in fishnet leisure wear became a bit obvious.• Major stores here had their buyers on the prowl for evening wear months ago.• She knew perfectly well from the many Press photos of him that he preferred casual wear.• As the evening wore on and audience laughter grew, Cosby seemed loosened and actually seemed to be enjoying himself.• As the evening wore on, Durkin became very drunk.• As the evening wore on, however, the question became moot.• The collection includes day wear, evening wear and stunning ballgowns.wear and tear• Will they stand up to family wear and tear or look too sturdy for dinner parties?• Allowing for normal wear and tear, a washing machine should last at least ten years.• There's a lot of wear and tear involved.• The foam is lightweight but loses much of its shock absorbing value after about 300 miles of wear and tear.• It sure saves wear and tear on the boss.• But looking after the wear and tear was a full-time job.• Having a large family obviously increases the wear and tear on your furniture.• So the wear and tear on the path to Nottingham looks set to continue ... What will all these Slavists do?• Hey, make sure you wear something you can work in, something that can take the wear and tear.• It must also be robust enough to withstand the wear and tear of the postal system and the editor's desk.From Longman Business Dictionarywearwear /weəwer/ noun (fair) wear and tearINSURANCE the amount of damage that can be expected to affect a product or property in normal use. Wear and tear is often taken into consideration by an insurance company when paying an insurance claimThe sum insured should be based on current replacement costs, less an allowance for wear and tear.Origin wear1 Old English werian 