subs. (venery).—1. The private parts, both male and female. [‘Geere, besognes; aussi les parties honteuses’ (ROBERT SHERWOOD’S Dictionarie, English and French, appended to COTGRAVE, 1660). ‘Besongner … also to do or leacher with’ (COTGRAVE). Anglo-Saxon: gearwe (strong feminine plural) ornaments. SKEAT says original sense of gear was ‘preparation.’]
1598. FLORIO, A Worlde of Wordes, s.v. Mozza, a wench, a lasse, a girle. Also a woman’s GEERE or cunnie.
1620. PERCY, Folio MSS., ‘Ffryar and Boye.’
| I sweare, by night nor day | |
| thy GEARE is not to borrow. |
1659. TORRIANO, Vocabolario, s.v.
2. (obsolete).—Work, BUSINESS (q.v.). Thus: Here’s goodly GEAR = Here’s fine doings; Here’s a pretty kettle of fish. As in Romeo and Juliet (ii. 2. 106).
