English edit

Etymology edit

From Middle English dounberen, equivalent to down- +‎ bear.

Verb edit

downbear (third-person singular simple present downbears, present participle downbearing, simple past downbore, past participle downborne)

  1. (transitive) To bear, bring or carry down.
    • 1882, Hermes (Trismegistus.), John David Chambers (1805-1893), The theological and philosophical works of Hermes Trismegistus:
      Immediately from the downborne elements sprung forth The Word of The God to the pure creation of all Nature, [...]
  2. (transitive) To bear or press down (on); press upon; depress; subdue.
    • 1997, Bob Flaws, Curing Insomnia Naturally with Chinese Medicine:
      Further, Caulis Bambusae downbears the stomach, thus downbearing upwardly counterflowing depressive heat.
    • 2000, Philippe Sionneau, Lü Gang, The Treatment of Disease in Tmc: General Symptoms:
      Together, these points supplement the qi to help upbear the clear and downbear the turbid when needled with supplementing method.
    • 2007, Bruce H. Robinson, Biomedicine:
      When one relaxes physically as well as mentally, whatever qi should be upborne is upborne and whatever qi should be downborne is downborne.
  3. (transitive) To lessen; reduce.
    • 1998, Bob Flaws, Sticking to the Point:
      The stomach channel's uniting point, Zu San Li, is chosen in order to drain the stomach and downbear counterflow.

Anagrams edit