| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| sheer1 |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  shîr |
| INTRANSITIVE & TRANSITIVE VERB: | Inflected forms: sheered, sheer·ing, sheers
To swerve or cause to swerve from a course. | | NOUN: | 1. A swerving or deviating course. 2. Nautical a. The upward curve or amount of upward curve of the longitudinal lines of a ship's hull as viewed from the side. b. The position in which a ship at anchor is maintained in order to keep it clear of the anchor. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Probably partly from Low German scheren, to move to and fro (said of boats), and partly from Dutch scheren, to withdraw. See sker-1 in Appendix I.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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