australian bear

2 definitions found

australian bear - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Koala \Ko*a"la\, n.
     A tailless furry marsupial (Phascolarctos cinereus), found
     in Australia. The female carries her young on the back of her
     neck. Called also Australian bear, koala bear, native bear
     , and native sloth. The koala lives almost all of its
     life in trees, moves sluggishly like a sloth, and eats
     eucalyptus leaves almost exclusively.
     [1913 Webster +PJC] Kob

  Bear \Bear\ (b[^a]r), n. [OE. bere, AS. bera; akin to D. beer,
     OHG. bero, pero, G. b[aum]r, Icel. & Sw. bj["o]rn, and
     possibly to L. fera wild beast, Gr. fh`r beast, Skr. bhalla
     bear.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Zool.) Any species of the genus Ursus, and of the
        closely allied genera. Bears are plantigrade Carnivora,
        but they live largely on fruit and insects.
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     Note: The European brown bear (Ursus arctos), the white
           polar bear (Ursus maritimus), the grizzly bear
           (Ursus horribilis), the American black bear, and its
           variety the cinnamon bear (Ursus Americanus), the
           Syrian bear (Ursus Syriacus), and the sloth bear, are
           among the notable species.
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     2. (Zool.) An animal which has some resemblance to a bear in
        form or habits, but no real affinity; as, the woolly bear;
        ant bear; water bear; sea bear.
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     3. (Astron.) One of two constellations in the northern
        hemisphere, called respectively the Great Bear and the
        Lesser Bear, or Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
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     4. Metaphorically: A brutal, coarse, or morose person.
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     5. (Stock Exchange) A person who sells stocks or securities
        for future delivery in expectation of a fall in the
        market.
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     Note: The bears and bulls of the Stock Exchange, whose
           interest it is, the one to depress, and the other to
           raise, stocks, are said to be so called in allusion to
           the bear's habit of pulling down, and the bull's of
           tossing up.
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     6. (Mach.) A portable punching machine.
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     7. (Naut.) A block covered with coarse matting; -- used to
        scour the deck.
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     Australian bear. (Zool.) See Koala.
  
     Bear baiting, the sport of baiting bears with dogs.
  
     Bear caterpillar (Zool.), the hairy larva of a moth, esp.
        of the genus Euprepia.
  
     Bear garden.
        (a) A place where bears are kept for diversion or
            fighting.
        (b) Any place where riotous conduct is common or
            permitted. --M. Arnold.
  
     Bear leader, one who leads about a performing bear for
        money; hence, a facetious term for one who takes charge of
        a young man on his travels.
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