Dictionary

bearleader en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈbɛəˌliːdə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈbɛəɹˌlidəɹ/ (General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From bear + leader.

Meanings

1. (historical) Someone who handles and keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments such as bearbaiting or dancing displays; a bearward.
2. (broadly, historical) Someone acting as a chaperone and tutor to a wealthy young man travelling abroad, especially in Europe.
   • […] Nick, if you please, was pronounced delicate, and led a series of tutors a fine dance until his mother decided he was old enough for the Grand Tour and sent him off with a bear-leader like some young regency lordling. 1941, Ngaio Marsh, “Project”, in Death and the Dancing Footman, [London]: Fontana Books, William Collins Sons & Co, published September 1976, →ISBN, part 1, page 17:
   • They pounced upon the stray nobility, and seized young lords travelling with their bear leaders. 1846 February 28 – 1847 February 27, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, “On Some Respectable Snobs”, in The Book of Snobs, London: Punch Office, […], published 1848, →OCLC, pages 29-30:
   • So!—you have really undertaken the delightful office of bear-leader—becauſe the brother of your Geraldine cannot take care of himſelf— […] 1792, Charlotte Smith, “Letter II. To Mr. Desmond.”, in Desmond. […], volume I, London: […] G[eorge,] G[eorge,] J[ohn] and J[ames] Robinson, […], →OCLC, page 13:
   • In 1775 Lord Herbert [George Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke] toured Switzerland with his bearleader William Coxe (1747–1828). 1992, Jeremy Black, “Routes and Destinations”, in The British Abroad: The Grand Tour in the Eighteenth Century, Stroud, Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing, published 2003, →ISBN, page 38:
3. (broadly, historical, humorous, obsolete, rare) A captor; also, a guard, a jailer.
   • My bear-leaders were considerably surprised with my firmness, but seemed to think it beneath them to contest with me the principles I delivered. […] They left me abruptly; having first ordered an old man, the father of the landlady, to stay in the room with me while they were absent. 1794, William Godwin, chapter VI, in Things as They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams. […], volume III, London: […] B. Crosby, […], →OCLC, page 114:

Forms

Relateds

bearbaiter

Synonyms

bearherd · bear warden

Translations (24)

fi karhun hoitaja (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · tt аючы (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · ru медвежа́тник (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · pl niedźwiednik (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · bg айда́р (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · gml bārenlēder (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · fi kaitsija (someone acting as a chaperone and tutor to a wealthy young man travelling abroad — see also chaperone) · cy canlynwr arth (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · fi valvoja (someone acting as a chaperone and tutor to a wealthy young man travelling abroad — see also chaperone) · bg айджи́я (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · mk мечкар (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · de Bärendompteur (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · pl skomoroch (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · tr ayı lideri (someone acting as a chaperone and tutor to a wealthy young man travelling abroad — see also chaperone) · ru дрессиро́вщик медве́дей (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · bg мечка́р (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · ru вожа́к медве́дя (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · ru укроти́тель медве́дей (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · fi karhunkesyttäjä (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · de Bärenbändiger (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · sh mèčkār (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · de Bärenführer (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · de Bärenleiter (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments) · ar جُعَيْدِيّ (someone who handles or keeps bears, especially for use in public entertainments)

wikipedia: British Museum