Link Centre Dictionary

shear

UK/ʃɪː/ US/ʃɪə/ uncommon
noun (3) verb (3)

noun

1.

(physics) a deformation of an object in which parallel planes remain parallel but are shifted in a direction parallel to themselves

  • “the shear changed the quadrilateral into a parallelogram”
2.

(usually plural) large scissors with strong blades

Synonyms
3.

a large edge tool that cuts sheet metal by passing a blade through it

verb

1.

cut with shears

  • “shear hedges”
2.

shear the wool from

  • “shear sheep”
Synonyms
3.

cut or cut through with shears

Origin

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”).

Phrases

  • alligator shear
  • crocodile shear
  • guillotine shear
  • Kepler shear
  • shear centre
  • shear hog
  • shear legs
  • shear line
  • shear off

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.