bearings
bearings Lexical Profile
bearings Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An awareness of one's position relative to one's surroundings, or a clear understanding of a new situation.
"After stepping out of the subway station into the unfamiliar neighborhood, she paused for a moment to get her bearings."
Plural of bearing: machine elements that constrain relative motion and reduce friction between moving parts, such as ball bearings.
"The mechanic lubricated the worn wheel bearings to stop the grinding noise."
Plural of bearing: directional measurements or compass readings indicating the angle or course from one point to another.
"The navigator plotted three compass bearings from the coastal lighthouses to fix the ship's exact position on the chart."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the sense of spatial or mental orientation (as in 'get one's bearings' or 'lose one's bearings'), this noun is always used in the plural form.
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Middle English noun 'bering', from the verb 'beren' (to carry, support, or point in a direction), ultimately from the Old English 'beran'. The navigational sense of relative direction arose in the 17th century, giving rise to the plural idiom of finding one's orientation.