shear

[ sheer ]

/ ʃɪər /

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See synonyms for: shear / shears / shorn on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), sheared, sheared or shorn, shear·ing.

to cut (something).

to remove by or as if by cutting or clipping with a sharp instrument: to shear wool from sheep.

to cut or clip the hair, fleece, wool, etc., from: to shear sheep.

to strip or deprive (usually followed by of): to shear someone of power.

Chiefly Scot. to reap with a sickle.

to travel through by or as if by cutting: Chimney swifts sheared the air.

verb (used without object), sheared, sheared or shorn, shear·ing.

to cut or cut through something with a sharp instrument.

to progress by or as if by cutting: The cruiser sheared through the water.

Mechanics, Geology. to become fractured along a plane as a result of forces acting parallel to the plane.

Chiefly Scot. to reap crops with a sickle.

noun

Usually shears. (sometimes used with a singular verb)

scissors of large size (usually used with pair of).
any of various other cutting implements or machines having two blades that resemble or suggest those of scissors.

the act or process of shearing or being sheared.

a shearing of sheep (used in stating the age of sheep): a sheep of one shear.

the quantity, especially of wool or fleece, cut off at one shearing.

one blade of a pair of large scissors.

Usually shears. Also sheers .Also called shear legs, sheerlegs

[sheer-legz] /ˈʃɪərˌlɛgz/ .(usually used with a plural verb) a framework for hoisting heavy weights, consisting of two or more spars with their legs separated, fastened together near the top and steadied by guys, which support a tackle.

a machine for cutting rigid material, as metal in sheet or plate form, by moving the edge of a blade through it.

Mechanics, Geology. the tendency of forces to deform or fracture a member or a rock in a direction parallel to the force, as by sliding one section against another.

Physics. the lateral deformation produced in a body by an external force, expressed as the ratio of the lateral displacement between two points lying in parallel planes to the vertical distance between the planes.

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Origin of shear

First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English sheren, Old English sceran, cognate with Dutch, German scheren, Old Norse skera; (noun) (in sense “tool for shearing”) Middle English sheres (plural), continuing Old English scērero, scēar, two words derived from the same root as the verb

OTHER WORDS FROM shear

shearer, nounshearless, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH shear

shear , sheer

Words nearby shear

shea butter, sheading, sheaf, shealing, shea nut, shear, sheared, Shearer, shear force, Shearing, shearing gang

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use shear in a sentence

The combination of an unstable atmosphere, plenty of shear, energy aloft and an approaching front is a potentially volatile combination.
After producing several tornado warnings and funnel clouds, storms exiting region|Jason Samenow, Jeffrey Halverson|July 29, 2021|Washington Post
You may find sets with extra tools, such as poultry shears, so if you’re looking for a very specific tool, check the inventory of a grill set to ensure you get what you want.
Best grill accessories you need to become a grill master|Florie Korani|July 23, 2021|Popular-Science
Of those 11 events, six sets of vibrations included shear waves strong enough to stand out from background noise.
Marsquakes reveal the Red Planet boasts a liquid core half its diameter|Sid Perkins|July 22, 2021|Science News
If it’s closer to two pounds, or you’re concerned about it fitting into your steamer, carefully cut off the fins with kitchen shears or slice the whole fish in half.
How to make Cantonese sizzling fish|Daniela Galarza|July 22, 2021|Washington Post

That shear no doubt increased the tendency for these late cells to rotate.
Explaining the tornado warning and storm damage in D.C. on Thursday night|Jeffrey Halverson, Jason Samenow, Ian Livingston|July 2, 2021|Washington Post
Climate change increases the available energy, but reduces the wind shear, making the net result hard to predict.
The Real Climate-Change Lesson from the Oklahoma Tornado|Andrew T. Guzman|May 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On the other hand, wind shear is expected to decrease as the poles get warmer.
Can You Blame Moore on Global Warming?|Josh Dzieza|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Second, you need those layers to be traveling at different speeds or in different directions, a phenomenon called wind shear.
Can You Blame Moore on Global Warming?|Josh Dzieza|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Wind shear may decrease in a warmer world and that could mean fewer tornadoes.
Earth Day: Discussing the Coming Climate Crisis With Heidi Cullen|Dominique Browning|April 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
So which influence wins out—increasing water vapor or decreasing wind shear?
Earth Day: Discussing the Coming Climate Crisis With Heidi Cullen|Dominique Browning|April 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The inclined tensions and compressions in the bars of a braced web are equivalent to this shear.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
The distribution of shear on vertical sections is given by the ordinates of a sloping line.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
Greatest Shear when concentrated Loads travel over the Bridge.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
The distribution of shear is given by the partially shaded rectangles.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various
The shaded rectangles represent the distribution of shear due to the load at C, while no may be termed the datum line of shear.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3|Various

British Dictionary definitions for shear

shear

/ (ʃɪə) /

verb shears, shearing or sheared or Australian and NZ shore, sheared or shorn

(tr) to remove (the fleece or hair) of (sheep, etc) by cutting or clipping

to cut or cut through (something) with shears or a sharp instrument

engineering to cause (a part, member, shaft, etc) to deform or fracture or (of a part, etc) to deform or fracture as a result of excess torsion or transverse load

(tr often foll by of) to strip or divestto shear someone of his power

(when intr, foll by through) to move through (something) by or as if by cutting

Scot to reap (corn, etc) with a scythe or sickle

noun

the act, process, or an instance of shearing

a shearing of a sheep or flock of sheep, esp when referred to as an indication of agea sheep of two shears

a form of deformation or fracture in which parallel planes in a body or assembly slide over one another

physics the deformation of a body, part, etc, expressed as the lateral displacement between two points in parallel planes divided by the distance between the planes

either one of the blades of a pair of shears, scissors, etc

a machine that cuts sheet material by passing a knife blade through it

a device for lifting heavy loads consisting of a tackle supported by a framework held steady by guy ropes

Derived forms of shear

shearer, noun

Word Origin for shear

Old English sceran; related to Old Norse skera to cut, Old Saxon, Old High German skeran to shear; see share ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for shear

shear

[ shîr ]

A force, movement or pressure applied to an object perpendicular to a given axis, with greater value on one side of the axis than the other. See more at shear force stress strain.

See skew.

shear

Origin of shear

OTHER WORDS FROM shear

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH shear

Words nearby shear

Words related to shear

How to use shear in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shear

Derived forms of shear

Word Origin for shear

Scientific definitions for shear