beard

1 of 2

noun

1
: the hair that grows on a man's face often excluding the mustache
2
: a hairy or bristly appendage or tuft
3
beardless adjective

beard

2 of 2

verb

bearded; bearding; beards

transitive verb

1
: to confront and oppose with boldness, resolution, and often effrontery : defy
2
: to furnish with a beard

Examples of beard in a Sentence

Noun He grew a beard and mustache. the beard of a goat Verb a man of integrity who was never afraid to beard the lion in his den
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Global news platforms picked up on the backstory of this almost mythical character, one who certainly looked the part, with Chang’s flowing robes and beard, often with a pet gibbon trailing in his wake. Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2024 Staff intervened to separate them as Paul smiled and stroked his beard. Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 15 Nov. 2024 The two didn't go into further details on why exactly their characters are sporting beards in RIP, but did share that the film should hopefully be released next year, though that is still officially to be determined by Netflix. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Later that summer, Reuss, with white hair and a full beard, made his way down to the valley. Tomas Weber, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for beard 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English berd, from Old English beard; akin to Old High German bart beard, Latin barba

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beard was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near beard

Cite this Entry

“Beard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beard. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

beard

1 of 2 noun
1
: the hair that grows on a man's face often not including the mustache
2
: a hairy or bristly growth or bunch (as on the chin of a goat)
bearded adjective
beardless adjective

beard

2 of 2 verb
: to face or challenge boldly
bearded his enemy

Medical Definition

beard

noun
: the hair that grows on a man's face often excluding the mustache
bearded adjective

Biographical Definition

Beard 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Charles Austin 1874–1948 and his wife Mary 1876–1958 née Ritter American historians

Beard

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Daniel Carter 1850–1941 Uncle Dan American painter, illustrator, and organizer of Boy Scouts in U.S.

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