veer

¹ American  

[veer] / vɪər /

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 ).

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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 American  

[veer] / vɪər /

verb (used with object)

Nautical.

1. to slacken or let out.

   to veer chain.

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veer ¹ British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a change of course or direction

veer ² British  

/ vɪə /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• veeringly adverb

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

For many folks — and I say this as someone whose diet has veered aggressively beige for entire seasons — vegetables simply fall outside their default rhythms.

From Salon

Dickinson was known to share strong opinions that veered negative and even mean-spirited on the judging panel.

From Los Angeles Times

If the technology’s auto-steering fails and veers the car out of a lane, drivers are supposed to grab the wheel and reposition it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Up ahead he remembered the road veering to the left.

From Literature

Anytime the film veers into computer-generated territory, it takes on a sheen of cheesy artifice.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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