shear Meaning & Definition
What Does Shear Mean?
As a verb, shear means To remove the fleece from (a sheep, llama, etc.) by clipping. It is also used to mean To cut the hair of (a person). As a noun, it means A cutting tool similar to scissors, but often larger. As an adjective, it means Misspelling of sheer.
Shear in Brief
| Part of speech | verb, noun, adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ʃɪə/ |
| Synonyms | fleece |
| Plural | shears |
| Verb forms | shears, shearing, sheared, shorn |
Shear Definition (Verb)
- To remove the fleece from (a sheep, llama, etc.) by clipping.
shear the llamas
- To cut the hair of (a person).
shear the afro off someone's head
- To cut, originally with a sword or other bladed weapon, now usually with shears, or as if using shears.
- To deform because of forces pushing in opposite directions.
- To change in direction or speed.
- To transform by displacing every point in a direction parallel to some given line by a distance proportional to the point’s distance from the line.
- To make a vertical cut in coal.
- (also 'shear off') To break or suddenly separate because of excessive force, eg. a bolt.
- To reap, as grain.
- To deprive of property; to fleece.
Shear as a Noun
- A cutting tool similar to scissors, but often larger.
- A large machine use for cutting sheet metal.
- The act of shearing, or something removed by shearing.
- Forces that push in opposite directions.
- The phenomenon of wind shear.
- A specific instance of wind shear.
We hit a nasty shear on approach and had to go around.
- A transformation that displaces every point in a direction parallel to some given line by a distance proportional to the point's distance from the line.
- The response of a rock to deformation usually by compressive stress, resulting in particular textures.
Shear as an Adjective
- Misspelling of sheer.
Verb
- To remove the fleece from a sheep etc by clipping.
- To make a vertical cut in the coal.
Synonyms of Shear
Shear synonyms and antonyms →Shear in a Sentence
shear the llamas
shear the afro off someone's head
We hit a nasty shear on approach and had to go around.
Word Forms & Grammar
shear (third-person singular simple present shears, present participle shearing, simple past sheared or shore, past participle shorn or sheared)
shear (countable and uncountable, plural shears)
shear
Words That Rhyme With Shear
Origin of Shear
Origin 1: From Middle English sheren, scheren, from Old English sċieran (“to shear; to shave”), from Proto-West Germanic *skeran, from Proto-Germanic *skeraną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”).
Origin 2: Cognate with West Frisian skarre, Low German, Dutch, and German scheren, Danish skære, Norwegian Bokmål skjære, Norwegian Nynorsk skjera, Swedish skära, Faroese and Icelandic skera, (borrowed from Germanic) Finnish keritä; and (from Indo-European) with Kamkata-viri ċarë́- (“to chop”), Ancient Greek κείρω (keírō, “to cut off”), Latin caro (“flesh”), Albanian shqerr (“to tear, cut”), harr (“to cut, to mow”), Lithuanian ski̇̀rti (“separate”), Welsh ysgar (“separate”). See also sharp.
Shear: Your Questions Answered
Is shear a verb or a noun?
Shear is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun and an adjective.
What is another word for shear?
Words with a similar meaning to shear include fleece. See the full list of shear synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of shear?
The plural of shear is shears.
What is the past tense of shear?
The past tense of shear is sheared and the past participle is shorn. The present participle is shearing.