BEARING, in the sea-language. When a ship sails towards the shore, before the wind, she is said to bear in with the land or harbour. To let the ship sail more before the wind, is to bear up. To put her right before the wind, is to bear round. A ship that keeps off from the land, is said to bear off. When a ship that was to windward comes under a ship's stern, and so gives her the wind, she is said to bear under her lee, &c. There is another sense of this word, in reference to the burden of a ship; for they say a ship bears, when having too slender or lean a quarter, she will sink too deep into the water with an overweight freight, and thereby can carry but a small quantity of goods.