sheer

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.1.1 Homophones 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Adjective 1.2.1.1 Synonyms 1.2.1.2 Translations 1.2.2 Adverb 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 1.3.2 Verb 1.4 References 1.5 Anagrams

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈʃɪə/
• (US) IPA: /ʃɪr/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -ɪə(r)

[edit] Homophones

• shear

[edit] Etymology 1

From Old Norse skírr (“‘pure, bright, clear’”)^[1], cognate with Danish skær, German schier (“‘sheer’”), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌴𐌹𐍂𐍃 (skeirs), “‘clear, lucid’”).

[edit] Adjective

sheer (comparative sheerer or more sheer, superlative sheerest or most sheer)

1. (textiles) Very thin or transparent.

   Her light, sheer dress caught everyone's attention.

2. Pure; unmixed; being only what it seems to be.

   I think it is sheer genius to invent such a thing.

   This poem is sheer nonsense.

3. Straight up and down; vertical; perpendicular.

   It was a sheer drop of 180 feet.

[edit] Synonyms

• (very thin or transparent): diaphanous, see-through, thin
• (pure, unmixed): downright, mere, pure, undiluted, unmitigated
• (straight up and down): perpendicular, steep, vertical

[edit] Translations

[edit] Adverb

sheer (comparative more sheer, superlative most sheer)

1. clean; quite; at once.

[edit] Etymology 2

[edit] Noun

sheer (plural sheers)

1. (nautical) The curve of the main deck or gunwale from bow to stern.
2. (nautical) An abrupt swerve from the course of a ship.

[edit] Verb

to sheer (third-person singular simple present sheers, present participle sheering, simple past and past participle sheered)

1. (nautical) To swerve from a course.
2. To shear. (rare/archaic?)

[edit] References

• Notes:

1. ^ Merriam-Webster online Dictionary

[edit] Anagrams

• Anagrams of eehrs
• here's