black bear

1. An omnivorous North American bear (Ursus americanus), living primarily in forests and having a glossy black or dark brown coat.

2. An omnivorous Asian bear (Ursus thibetanus), having a pointed snout, a black coat, and a beige or white V-shaped mark on the chest.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

black bear

1. (Animals) American black bear a bear, Euarctos (or Ursus) americanus, inhabiting forests of North America. It is smaller and less ferocious than the brown bear

2. (Animals) Asiatic black bear a bear, Selenarctos thibetanus, of central and E Asia, whose coat is black with a pale V-shaped mark on the chest

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

black′ bear′

a medium-sized North American bear, Ursus (Euarctos) americanus, of wooded areas, ranging from gray to black and having a straight brown muzzle.

[1735–45]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	black bear - bear with a black coat living in central and eastern Asia Asiatic black bear, Selenarctos thibetanus, Ursus thibetanus bear - massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws genus Selenarctos, Selenarctos - Asiatic black bears; in some classifications not a separate genus from Ursus
	2.	black bear - brown to black North American bear; smaller and less ferocious than the brown bear American black bear, Euarctos americanus, Ursus americanus bear - massive plantigrade carnivorous or omnivorous mammals with long shaggy coats and strong claws Euarctos, genus Euarctos - American black bears; in some classifications not a separate genus from Ursus cinnamon bear - reddish-brown color phase of the American black bear