bear·ing / ˈbe(ə)ring/ • n. 1. [in sing.] a person's way of standing or moving: a man of precise military bearing. ∎  the way one behaves or conducts oneself: she has the bearing of a First Lady.2. relation or relevance: the case has no direct bearing on the issues.3. the level to which something bad can be tolerated: school was bad enough, but now it's past bearing.4. a part of a machine that bears friction, esp. between a rotating part and its housing. ∎  a ball bearing.5. Archit. a structural part that supports weight, such as a wall that supports a beam.6. the direction or position of something, or the direction of movement, relative to a fixed point. It is typically measured in degrees, usually with north as zero: the Point is on a bearing of 015°. ∎  (one's bearings) awareness of one's position relative to one's surroundings: he rose unsteadily to his feet and tried to get his bearings.7. Heraldry a device or charge: armorial bearings.8. the act, capability, or time of producing fruit or offspring: I gave myself up to the bearing of children.

bearing.
1. Part of a truss or beam lying on a support.

2. The distance between two such supports (i.e. the span of the void).

3. Figure copied from the Antique.

4. In heraldry an Achievement of Arms, or the supporters of a coat of arms.