dɪə adj., n., adv., & int. --adj. 1 a
beloved or
much esteemed. b as a merely
polite or
ironic form (my dear man). 2 used as a
formula of
address,
esp. at
the beginning of letters (Dear Sir). 3 (often foll. by to)
precious; much cherished. 4 (usu. in superl.) earnest, deeply felt (my dearest wish). 5 a high-priced
relative to
its value. b having
high prices. c (of money)
available as a loan
only at a high rate of
interest. --n. (esp. as a form of address) dear
person. --adv. at a high
price or
great cost (buy
cheap and sell dear; will pay dear). --int. expressing
surprise,
dismay,
pity, etc. (dear me!; oh dear!; dear, dear!). øDear
John colloq. a
letter terminating a
personal relationship.
for dear
life see LIFE. øødearly adv. (esp. in
sense 3 of adj.). dearness n. [OE deore f. Gmc]