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).