\Dear\, a. [Compar. {Dearer}; superl. {Dearest}.] [OE.
dere, deore, AS. de['o]re; akin to OS. diuri, D. duur, OHG.
tiuri, G. theuer, teuer, Icel. d?r, Dan. & Sw. dyr. Cf.
{Darling}, {Dearth}.]
1. Bearing a high price; high-priced; costly; expensive.
         The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear. --Shak.
2. Marked by scarcity or dearth, and exorbitance of price;
   as, a dear year.
3. Highly valued; greatly beloved; cherished; precious.
   ``Hear me, dear lady.'' --Shak.
         Neither count I my life dear unto myself. --Acts xx.
                                               24.
         And the last joy was dearer than the rest. --Pope.
         Dear as remember'd kisses after death. --Tennyson.
4. Hence, close to the heart; heartfelt; present in mind;
   engaging the attention.
   (a) Of agreeable things and interests.
             [I'll] leave you to attend him: some dear cause
             Will in concealment wrap me up awhile. --Shak.
             His dearest wish was to escape from the bustle
             and glitter of Whitehall.         --Macaulay.
   (b) Of disagreeable things and antipathies.
             In our dear peril.                --Shak.
             Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven Or ever
             I had seen that day.              --Shak.

\Dear\, n.
A dear one; lover; sweetheart.
      That kiss I carried from thee, dear.     --Shak.

\Dear\, adv.
Dearly; at a high price.
      If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear. --Shak.

\Dear\, v. t.
To endear. [Obs.] --Shelton.