sheer

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English scere, shere, schere “free, clear, bright, thin”; probably from Old Norse skǣrr; change of sk- from s(c)h- perhaps by influence of the related Old English scīr (English dialect shire “clear, pure, thin”); cognate with German schier, Old Norse skīr, Gothic skeirs “clear”

OTHER WORDS FROM sheer

sheerly, adverbsheerness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sheer

shear, sheer

Other definitions for sheer (2 of 2)

sheer²

[ sheer ]

/ ʃɪər /

verb (used without object)

to deviate from a course, as a ship; swerve.

verb (used with object)

to cause to sheer.

Shipbuilding. to give sheer to (a hull).

noun

a deviation or divergence, as of a ship from its course; swerve.

Shipbuilding. the fore-and-aft upward curve of the hull of a vessel at the main deck or bulwarks.

Nautical. the position in which a ship at anchor is placed to keep it clear of the anchor.

Origin of sheer

First recorded in 1620–30; of uncertain origin; perhaps a special use of sheer¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sheer in a sentence

The sheer size of the network means that you’ll be able to reach more people on there but be careful — Facebook is not as popular as it used to be.
How social media influence 71% consumer buying decisions|Aleh Barysevich|November 20, 2020|Search Engine Watch
While the sheer scale of the main dish at Arecibo grabbed the most attention, the dish was purely a reflector.
Big dish of Arecibo observatory has reached the end of the line|John Timmer|November 19, 2020|Ars Technica
What’s also notable is the sheer volume of categories and lenses that show how uniquely bad the Jets have been.
It’s really hard to describe how bad the Jets are, but here’s our best effort|Neil Greenberg|November 12, 2020|Washington Post
The sheer amount of money being spent and the wide discretion executive branch officials have in granting it have made it difficult for Congress and other watchdogs to track where the relief is going.
Treasury emergency aid loan goes to airline backed by Amazon and Apollo, showing government’s long reach|Yeganeh Torbati|November 10, 2020|Washington Post

The sheer coolness of that “mind control” setup is enough to go down in neurotech history.
How Do We Remember Places? This Study Used Lasers and VR to Point the Way|Shelly Fan|November 10, 2020|Singularity Hub
Sheerly by chance, some of those scrofulous churls will have some minor position of power in one institution or another.
Who Represents?|Megan McArdle|February 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That came when he chose to review the restaurant I used to work at sheerly because I called him a douche bag.
America's Bad Boy Chef|Jacob Bernstein|June 13, 2010|DAILY BEAST
It would have been sheerly impossible to expect anything like effusiveness from Priscilla Gower.
Theo|Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett
The fatal assimilative power of the Jew is revealed nowhere in music more sheerly than in the style of Mahler.
Musical Portraits|Paul Rosenfeld
So far as the commercial world was concerned, the powers of the Casa de Contratacion were sheerly autocratic.
South America|W. H. Koebel
Here she hung, staring down at them as demurely if not quite so sheerly beautiful as of old.
Sinister Street, vol. 1|Compton Mackenzie
They made one reluctant to hurry one's footsteps, and slow in the return to that sheerly human shelter we call home.
The High Heart|Basil King

British Dictionary definitions for sheer (1 of 2)

sheer¹

/ (ʃɪə) /

adjective

perpendicular; very steepa sheer cliff

(of textiles) so fine as to be transparent

(prenominal) absolute; unmitigatedsheer folly

obsolete bright or shining

adverb

steeply or perpendicularly

completely or absolutely

noun

any transparent fabric used for making garments

Derived forms of sheer

sheerly, adverbsheerness, noun

Word Origin for sheer

Old English scīr; related to Old Norse skīrr bright, Gothic skeirs clear, Middle High German schīr

British Dictionary definitions for sheer (2 of 2)

sheer²

/ (ʃɪə) /

verb (foll by off or away ( from ))

to deviate or cause to deviate from a course

(intr) to avoid an unpleasant person, thing, topic, etc

noun

the upward sweep of the deck or bulwarks of a vessel

nautical the position of a vessel relative to its mooring

Word Origin for sheer

C17: perhaps variant of shear

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

sheer

OTHER WORDS FOR sheer

OPPOSITES FOR sheer

Origin of sheer

OTHER WORDS FROM sheer

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH sheer

Other definitions for sheer (2 of 2)

Origin of sheer

Words related to sheer

How to use sheer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sheer (1 of 2)

Derived forms of sheer

Word Origin for sheer

British Dictionary definitions for sheer (2 of 2)

Word Origin for sheer