bearing bear-ing 'beriNG noun 1 [in singular] a person's way of standing or moving: a man of precise military bearing. • the way one behaves or conducts oneself: she has the bearing of a First Lady. 2 relation; relevance: the case has no direct bearing on the issues. 3 the level to which something bad can be tolerated: school was bad enough, but now it's past bearing. 4 a part of a machine that bears friction, especially between a rotating part and its housing. • a ball bearing. 5 the direction or position of something, or the direction of movement, relative to a fixed point. It is usually measured in degrees, typically with magnetic north as zero: the Point is on a bearing of 015°. • (one's bearings) awareness of one's position relative to one's surroundings: he rose unsteadily to his feet and tried to get his bearings. 6 Heraldry a device or charge: armorial bearings. 7 Architecture a structural part that supports weight, such as a wall that supports a beam. • the point at which a structural part rests upon a supporting structure, such as the specific area of a beam that rests upon a wall. #englishasasecondlanguage