Gear
Middle English: of Scandinavian origin; compare with Old Norse gervi . Early senses expressed the general meaning ‘equipment or apparatus’, later ‘mechanism’: hence gear (sense 1 of the noun) (early 19th century).
wiktionary
From Middle English gere, a borrowing from Old Norse gervi, from Proto-Germanic *garwijaną(“to prepare”). See also adjective yare, yar from the same root via Old English.
etymonline
gear (n.)
c. 1200, "fighting equipment, armor and weapons," probably from Old Norse gørvi (plural gørvar) "apparel, gear," related to görr, gørr, gerr "skilled, accomplished; ready, willing," and to gøra, gørva "to make, construct, build; set in order, prepare," a very frequent verb in Old Norse, used in a wide range of situations from writing a book to dressing meat. This is from Proto-Germanic *garwjan "to make, prepare, equip" (source also of Old English gearwe "clothing, equipment, ornament," which may be the source of some uses; Old Saxon garwei; Dutch gaar "done, dressed;" Old High German garo "ready, prepared, complete," garawi "clothing, dress," garawen "to make ready;" German gerben "to tan").
From early 14c. as "wearing apparel, clothes, dress;" also "harness of a draught animal; equipment of a riding horse." From late 14c. as "equipment generally; tools, utensils," especially the necessary equipment for a certain activity, as the rigging of a sailing ship. It was used generically as an affix in 16c. canting slang for "thing, stuff, material." Meaning "toothed wheel in machinery" first attested 1520s; specific mechanical sense of "parts by which a motor communicates motion" is from 1814; specifically of a vehicle (bicycle, automobile, etc.) by 1888. Slang for "male sex organs" from 1670s.
gear (v.)
c. 1200, "to equip oneself for fighting; to dress," probably from gear (n.) or from the verb in Old Norse. Mechanical meaning "put (machinery) in gear" is from 1851. Related: Geared; gearing.
gear (adj.)
"stylish, excellent," British slang, 1951 (popularized c. 1963 by the Beatles), said to be from earlier that's the gear, an expression of approval (1925), from gear (n.).
