sheer

sheer
sheer1 [ ʃır ] adjective **
1. ) only before noun used for emphasizing the amount or degree of something:
Maya succeeded through sheer hard work.
the sheer size/volume etc. of something: We were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work.
sheer weight of numbers (=the simple fact of being much greater in number): In the end, they overcame the enemy through sheer weight of numbers.
(by) sheer luck/coincidence: By sheer coincidence, we ended up working for the same company.
sheer delight/joy/exhaustion etc.: He sat down and wept out of sheer joy.
sheer hell/torture: The trip to work every day was sheer hell.
2. ) extremely steep:
a sheer cliff face
3. ) sheer cloth is very thin
sheer
sheer 2 [ ʃır ] adverb
something that rises or falls sheer has a very steep slope
sheer
sheer 3 [ ʃır ] verb
,sheer `off or ,sheer a`way phrasal verb
1. ) intransitive to change direction very suddenly:
The car sheered off to the left.
2. ) intransitive or transitive if part of something sheers off or you sheer it off, it suddenly breaks away or is cut off

Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sheer — Sheer, n. 1. (Naut.) (a) The longitudinal upward curvature of the deck, gunwale, and lines of a vessel, as when viewed from the side. (b) The position of a vessel riding at single anchor and swinging clear of it. [1913 Webster] 2. A turn or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sheer — Sheer, a. [OE. shere, skere, pure, bright, Icel. sk?rr; akin to sk[=i]rr, AS. sc[=i]r, OS. sk[=i]ri, MHG. sch[=i]r, G. schier, Dan. sk?r, Sw. sk[ a]r, Goth. skeirs clear, and E. shine. [root]157. See {Shine}, v. i.] 1. Bright; clear; pure;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sheer — may refer to: *Sheer Music, a record label *Sheer curation, a lightweight approach to digital curation *Sheer (textile), for sheer textiles and fabrics *Sheer is a measure of longitudinal deck curvature in naval architecture.ee also*Shear *Shere… …   Wikipedia

  • Sheer — Sheer, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Sheered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Sheering}.] [D. sheren to shear, cut, withdraw, warp. See {Shear}.] To decline or deviate from the line of the proper course; to turn aside; to swerve; as, a ship sheers from her course; a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sheer — sheer; sheer·ly; sheer·ness; tab·a·sheer; …   English syllables

  • sheer — sheer1 [shir] vi. [var. of SHEAR, prob. infl. by Du or LowG scheren, to cut, deviate, warp away] to turn aside sharply from a course; swerve vt. to cause to sheer n. 1. a sudden change of course; abrupt turn; swerve 2. the oblique heading or… …   English World dictionary

  • Sheer — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Gordy Sheer (* 1971), US amerikanischer Rennrodler Ireen Sheer (* 1949), deutsch britische Schlagersängerin Siehe auch: Scheer Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsk …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • sheer — c.1200, exempt, free from guilt, later schiere thin, sparse (c.1400), from O.E. scir bright, clear, influenced by O.N. cognate scær bright, clean, pure, from P.Gmc. *skairijaz (Cf. O.S. skiri, O.Fris. skire, Ger. schier, Goth. skeirs clean, pure… …   Etymology dictionary

  • sheer — [adj1] abrupt, steep arduous, erect, headlong, perpendicular, precipitate, precipitous, sideling, upright; concepts 490,581 Ant. moderate, slow sheer [adj2] utter, absolute altogether, arrant, blasted, blessed, complete, confounded, downright,… …   New thesaurus

  • sheer — Ⅰ. sheer [1] ► ADJECTIVE 1) nothing but; absolute: sheer hard work. 2) (of a cliff, wall, etc.) perpendicular or nearly so. 3) (of a fabric) very thin. ► ADVERB ▪ perpendicularly. DERIVATIVES …   English terms dictionary

  • Sheer — Sheer, adv. Clean; quite; at once. [Obs.] Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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