anear

1 of 3

transitive verb

əˈ-
archaic
: to come near to : near

anear

2 of 3

adverb

"
1
archaic : nearly, almost
the lady shrieks and well anear does fallShakespeare
2
archaic : close, near
timidly the women drew anearWilliam Morris

anear

3 of 3

preposition

"
now chiefly dialectal
: near : close to
sat anear me

Word History

Etymology

Transitive verb

a- entry 1 + near, verb

Adverb

a- entry 1 + near, adverb

First Known Use

Transitive Verb

1586, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1708, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anear was in 1586

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Dictionary Entries Near anear

Cite this Entry

“Anear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anear. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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