black bear

noun

a medium-sized North American bear, Ursus (Euarctos ) americanus, relatively common in uninhabited mountainous areas, ranging from light brown to black with a straight brown muzzle: northern populations may be gray to near-white.

black bear

noun

a bear, Euarctos (or Ursus ) americanus , inhabiting forests of North America. It is smaller and less ferocious than the brown bear
a bear, Selenarctos thibetanus , of central and E Asia, whose coat is black with a pale V-shaped mark on the chest

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Word History and Origins

Origin of black bear¹

First recorded in 1735–45

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A 2-month-old black bear cub recently rescued from the woods is now being raised by a new, faux fuzzy foster family: humans dressed as bears at the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center.

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Though there are recorded instances of fatal black bear maulings in other U.S. states, they are rare, and there had been no reports of one in California.

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As Californians increasingly contend with living among wolves, black bears and mountain lions, an offbeat new fantasy movie reflects many state residents’ anxieties about their proximity to wildlife.

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An estimated 60,000 black bears roam the state, and property damage, break-ins and the first confirmed fatality linked to the bruins have made headlines in recent years.

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California’s black bears are clever, resourceful and opportunistic.

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black bean Blackbeard

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