Meaning of the word shear in English

What does shear mean in English? Explore the meaning, pronunciation, and specific usage of this word with Lingoland.

shear

US /ʃɪr/

UK /ʃɪr/

cut the wool off (a sheep or other animal)

Example:

•

The farmer will shear the sheep next week.

•

It takes skill to shear a sheep quickly and efficiently.

Synonym:

clip trim cut

break off or cause to break off, owing to a shearing stress

Example:

•

The strong winds caused the top of the tree to shear off.

•

The bolt began to shear under the immense pressure.

Synonym:

snap fracture break

a strain produced by pressure in the structure of a substance, when its layers are subject to a lateral force causing them to slide over each other

Example:

•

The engineer calculated the shear stress on the beam.

•

The bridge design must account for shear forces.

the act or an instance of shearing wool from sheep

Example:

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The annual shear is an important event for sheep farmers.

•

He watched the skilled worker perform the shear with precision.

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Related Word:

pruning shears pinking shears