The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Dear \Dear\ (d[=e]r), a. [Compar. Dearer (d[=e]r"[~e]r);
   superl. Dearest (d[=e]r"[e^]st).] [OE. dere, deore, AS.
   de['o]re; akin to OS. diuri, D. duur, OHG. tiuri, G. theuer,
   teuer, Icel. d[=y]rr, Dan. & Sw. dyr. Cf. Darling,
   Dearth.]
   1. Bearing a high price; high-priced; costly; expensive.
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            The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear. --Shak.
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   2. Marked by scarcity or dearth, and exorbitance of price;
      as, a dear year.
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   3. Highly valued; greatly beloved; cherished; precious. "Hear
      me, dear lady." --Shak.
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            Neither count I my life dear unto myself. --Acts xx.
                                                  24.
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            And the last joy was dearer than the rest. --Pope.
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            Dear as remember'd kisses after death. --Tennyson.
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   4. Hence, close to the heart; heartfelt; present in mind;
      engaging the attention.
      (a) Of agreeable things and interests.
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                [I'll] leave you to attend him: some dear cause
                Will in concealment wrap me up awhile. --Shak.
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                His dearest wish was to escape from the bustle
                and glitter of Whitehall.         --Macaulay.
      (b) Of disagreeable things and antipathies.
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                In our dear peril.                --Shak.
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                Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven
                Or ever I had seen that day.      --Shak.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

dearest
    n 1: a beloved person; used as terms of endearment [syn:
         beloved, dear, dearest, honey, love]