veer

¹

[veer]

verb (used without object)

1. to change direction or turn about or aside; shift, turn, or change from one course, position, inclination, etc., to another.

   The speaker kept veering from his main topic. The car veered off the road.

   Synonyms: diverge, swerve, deviate

2. (of the wind)

   1. to change direction clockwise (back ).

   2. Nautical.,  to shift to a direction more nearly astern (haul ).

verb (used with object)

1. to alter the direction or course of; turn.

2. Nautical.,  to turn (a vessel) away from the wind; wear.

noun

1. a change of direction, position, course, etc..

   a sudden veer in a different direction.

veer

²

[veer]

verb (used with object)

Nautical.

1. to slacken or let out.

   to veer chain.

veer

¹

/ vɪə /

verb

1. to alter direction (of); swing around

2. (intr) to change from one position, opinion, etc, to another

3. (intr)

   1. (of the wind) to change direction clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern

   2. nautical to blow from a direction nearer the stern Compare haul

4. nautical to steer (a vessel) off the wind

noun

1. a change of course or direction

veer

²

/ vɪə /

verb

1. (tr; often foll by out or away) nautical to slacken or pay out (cable or chain)

Other Word Forms

• veeringly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of veer¹

First recorded in 1575–85, veer is from the Middle French word virer to turn

Origin of veer²

1425–75; late Middle English vere < Middle Dutch vieren to let out

Word History and Origins

Origin of veer¹

C16: from Old French virer, probably of Celtic origin; compare Welsh gwyro to diverge

Origin of veer²

C16: from Dutch vieren, from Old High German fieren to give direction

Example Sentences

As the company veered into new categories in recent years, sales of its core products suffered.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Flo veers off to the left, as if preparing to round the thicket rather than break her way through it again.

Read more on Literature

And so, with Penelope’s merry mood veering dangerously close to optoomuchism, the four young people marched to breakfast, singing all the way.

Read more on Literature

Police stationed at the bridge's ends were notified that the ship had veered off course but did not call the construction team's inspector to warn them.

Read more on BBC

"The government must not veer down the path of viewing nature as an inconvenience or blocker to housebuilding," the report said.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bend 
• deflect 
• depart 
• deviate 
• diverge 
• divert 
• drift 
• pivot 
• shift 
• skid 
• swerve 
• swing 
• twist 
• whirl