dear

adj.

1) (cannot stand alone) dear to (this project is dear to my heart)

2) (misc.) to hold smb. dear

* * *

[dɪə]

painfully dear

perfectly

('to prepare') to dear for (to dear an article for export; our plane was deared for takeoff; to dear a deck for action)

(H) ('to authorize') we were deared to land

(misc.) to hold smb. dear

crystal

(cannot stand alone) dear about (are you dear about the situation?)

dear that + clause (it was dear that they would not come; the teacher made it dear that discipline would be maintained)

dear from (the answer is dear from these facts)

dear of (the roads were dear of snow; to keep dear of trouble)

dear to (the situation is dear to everyone)

(cannot stand alone) dear to (this project is dear to my heart)

(cannot stand alone) dear to (this project is dear to my heart)

['uncoded language'] in the dear (to send a message in the dear)

(D; tr.) ('to free') to dear of (to dear a harbor of mines; to dear smb. of guilt; to dear land of trees)

(D; tr.) ('to complete formalities for') to dear with (to dear a shipment with the authorities)

(colloq.) (d; intr.) to dear out of (to dear out of town; 'to leave')

(D; tr.) ('to remove') to dear from (to dear the snow from the driveway)

(d; tr.) ('to remove') to dear out of (to dear things out of a cupboard)