bear fruit Definition

bear¹
verb bore (past tense), borne (past participle), born (past participle in sense 7b), bearing (present participle)

1. To support or sustain (a weight or load).
2. To take or accept.

Example: bear the blame
Thesaurus: tolerate, endure, sustain, suffer, support, abide, stomach, stand, weather, brook.
3. To put up with or tolerate something or someone.
4a. To allow; to be fit or suitable for something;

Example: It doesn't bear thinking about
4b. To stand up to or be capable of withstanding something.

Example: will not bear close scrutiny
5. To bring or take something with one; to carry.

Example: bearing gifts
Thesaurus: carry, transport, convey, transfer, tote.
6. To produce.

Example: bear fruit
Thesaurus: produce, yield, give birth to, bring forth, breed, engender, generate, propagate.
7a. To give birth to (a child or offspring);

Example: She bore three children
7b. In the passive using past participle born;

Example: He was born in 1990
7c. In the past tense using past participle borne;

Example: Has she borne children?
7d. In the passive using past participle borne, followed by by and the mother's name;

Example: a child borne by Mary
7e. With a direct and an indirect object to give birth to (the child of a man).

Example: She bore him a son
8. To carry something in one's thought or memory.

Example: bearing grudges
9. To have.

Example: bears no resemblance to his father
10. To show or be marked by something.

Example: Her cheeks bore the traces of tears
intr
11. To turn slightly in a given direction.

Example: bear left
12. To behave.

Example: bear oneself well

Idiom: bear fruit

To be productive; to bring results.

Idiom: bring something to bear

To apply or exert (especially pressure or influence), or bring something into operation.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon beran to carry or support.

Phrasal Verb: bear down on or upon someone or something

To move threateningly towards them or it.
Example: saw a lorry bearing down on them

Phrasal Verb: bear on something

To affect, concern or relate to it
Example: How does the new evidence bear on this case?

Phrasal Verb: bear someone or something out

To support or confirm them or it.
Example: The evidence bears out my original suspicions
Example: My colleagues will bear me out on this

Phrasal Verb: bear up

To remain strong or brave, etc under strain or difficult circumstances
Example: How is Jo bearing up after the accident?

Phrasal Verb: bear with someone

To be patient with them.
Example: Bear with me while I check this

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fruit
noun

1. The fully ripened ovary of a flowering plant, containing one or more seeds that have developed from fertilized ovules, and sometimes including associated structures such as the receptacle.
2. An edible part of a plant that is generally sweet and juicy, especially the ovary containing one or more seeds, but sometimes extended to include other parts, eg the leaf stalk in rhubarb. See also berry, soft fruit.

Thesaurus: berry, vegetable, grain, nut, root, tuber.
3. Plant products generally.

Example: the fruits of the land
Thesaurus: crop, harvest, produce, product, yield.
4. Whatever is gained as a result of hard work, etc.

Example: the fruit of his labour
Thesaurus: result, outcome, consequences, aftermath, effect, profits, pay, benefit, return, yield, harvest.
Form: fruits (also)
5. colloq
A gay man.
6. old use, colloq
A person.
Example: old fruit
7. rare
Offspring; young.
Example: the fruit of her womb

verb

intr
fruited, fruiting
1. To produce fruit.

Idiom: bear fruit

To produce fruit.

To produce good results.

Idiom: in fruit

Said of a tree: bearing fruit.

Etymology: 12c: from French fruict, from Latin fructus fruit, enjoyment.