# shear

> English word · Verb · IPA /ʃɪə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #17,239

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

## Easily confused with
- **star** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-star)
- **shed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-shed)
- **soar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-soar)
- **Shen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-shen)
- **spar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-spar)
- **shep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-shep)
- **Shem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-shem)
- **Shek** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-shek)
- **speak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-speak)
- **sugar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-sugar)
- **solar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-solar)
- **steam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-steam)
- **swear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-swear)
- **steal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-steal)
- **sheet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-sheet)
- **shell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-shell)
- **sheep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-sheep)
- **sweat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-sweat)
- **shelf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-shelf)
- **sheer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shear-vs-sheer)

## Common misspellings (6)
`hsear`, `sehar`, `shearr`, `shera`, `shhear`, `sshear`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shear