DCHP-3

white bear

DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

Entry from the DCHP-1 (pre-1967)

This entry may contain outdated or offensive information, terms, and examples.

1

a polar bear.

Quotations

1600
The soile is barren in some places, and yeeldeth litle fruit, but it is full of white beares, and stagges farre greater than ours.
1717
Wee See the White Bear as broke our Netts.
1823
The great white bear takes refuge in the most icy climates, and lives where scarcely any other animal can find substance.
1953
[He had] several livid weals across his left cheek where a white bear once had clawed him.
2 Now Rare or Obs.

a light-gray color phase of the grizzly bear.

Quotations

1791
The large white bear commonly called the grizly bear, is a very dangerous animal.
1921
As long as there's danger o' white bears bein' round you'll never again find Old Billy Brass tryin' to sleep beside a big fire.
1952
There were also red deer or biche, and white bears and white partridges, or ptarmigan, which were very fine eating but not so plentiful as other kinds.
3

the white or creamy-white color phase of the Kermode bear.

See: Kermode bear(def. 2)

Quotations

1964
[Caption] This is the only British Columbia white bear ever kept in captivity.
1966
The white bear had disappeared by the time we got there. . . .