shear

Where “shear” sits in English frequency

Definition

1. 1
   To remove the fleece from (a sheep, llama, etc.) by clipping.
2. 2
   To cut the hair of (a person).
3. 3
   To cut, originally with a sword or other bladed weapon, now usually with shears, or as if using shears.
4. 4
   To deform because of forces pushing in opposite directions.
5. 5
   To change in direction or speed.
6. 6
   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.
7. 7
   To make a vertical cut in coal.
8. 8
   (also 'shear off') To break or suddenly separate because of excessive force, eg. a bolt.
9. 9
   To reap, as grain.
10. 10
    To deprive of property; to fleece.

Etymology

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”). Cognate with West Frisian skarre, Low German scheren, Dutch scheren, German scheren, Danish skære, Norwegian Bokmål skjære, Norwegian Nynorsk skjera, Swedish skära, Finnish keritä; and (from Indo-European) with 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.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hsear,sehar,shearr,shera,shhear,sshear

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of shear - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Frequently Asked Questions