sheer1
adj.
- nothing other than; unmitigated:
sheer hard work.
- (of a cliff, wall, etc.) perpendicular or nearly so.
- (of a fabric) very thin.
adv.
- perpendicularly.
- archaic completely; right.
Derivative
- sheerly adv.
- sheerness n.
Etymology
ME: prob. an alt. of dial. shire ‘pure, clear’, from the Gmc base of shine.
sheer2
v.
- (especially of a boat) swerve or change course quickly.
- avoid or move away from an unpleasant topic.
n.
a sudden deviation from a course.
Usage
Confusion can arise between the verbs sheer and shear. Sheer means ‘swerve or change course quickly’ (the boat sheers off the bank), whereas shear usually means ‘cut the wool off a sheep’ or ‘break off’ (the wing had been sheared off).
Etymology
C17: perh. from Mid. Low Ger. scheren ‘to shear’.
sheer3
n.
the upward slope of a ship's lines towards the bow and stern.
Etymology
C17: prob. from shear.