bearleader

English

Alternative forms
  • bear-leader

Etymology

From bear +‎ leader.

Pronunciation
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)

Noun

bearleader (plural bearleaders)

  1. (now chiefly historical) Someone who keeps or handles bears, especially for use in public entertainments. [from 16th c.]
  2. (now historical) A chaperone or travelling tutor to a wealthy young man while travelling abroad. [from 18th c.]
    • 1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview, published 2001, page 52:
      So!—you have really undertaken the delightful office of bear-leader—because the brother of your Geraldine cannot take care of himself […] .
    • 1992, Jeremy Black, The British Abroad: The Grand Tour in the Eighteenth Century, History Press, published 2020, page 38:
      In 1775 Lord Herbert toured Switzerland with his bearleader William Coxe (1747–1828).
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