Gear is equipment designed for a specific purpose or activity. When you pack your camping gear, you're gathering the tent, sleeping bag, flashlight, and other items you'll need outdoors. A football player's gear includes a helmet, pads, and cleats. A painter's gear might include brushes, drop cloths, and paint trays.

The word emphasizes function over decoration: gear is about what works, not what looks pretty. Firefighters have specialized gear to protect them from heat and smoke. Mountain climbers need different gear than scuba divers, though both rely on their equipment for safety.

Gear also refers to the toothed wheels inside machines that transfer motion and power. When you shift gears on a bicycle, you're changing which gear wheels connect, making pedaling easier or harder. Car engines use gears to control speed and power. Simple machines like hand-crank drills and old-fashioned egg beaters use gears to multiply force or change the direction of motion.

People sometimes use gear up to mean preparing for something challenging: “The team is gearing up for the championship game.” When something is geared toward a particular group, it's designed specifically for them, like how a science museum might have exhibits geared toward young children.