shear

1 of 2

verb

ˈshir 

sheared; sheared or shorn ˈshȯrn  ; shearing

transitive verb

1

a

: to cut off the hair from

b

: to cut or clip (hair, wool, etc.) from someone or something

also : to cut something from

shear a lawn

c

chiefly Scotland : to reap with a sickle

d

: to cut or trim with shears or a similar instrument

2

: to cut with something sharp

3

: to deprive of something as if by cutting

lives shorn of any hope

—M. W. Browne

4

a

: to subject to a shear force

b

: to cause (something, such as a rock mass) to move along the plane of contact

intransitive verb

1

: to cut through something with or as if with a sharp instrument

2

chiefly Scotland : to reap crops with a sickle

3

: to become divided under the action of a shear

shearer noun

shear

2 of 2

noun

1

a(1)

: a cutting implement similar or identical to a pair of scissors but typically larger

—usually used in plural

(2)

: one blade of a pair of shears

b

: any of various cutting tools or machines operating by the action of opposed cutting edges of metal

—usually used in plural

c(1)

: something resembling a shear or a pair of shears

(2)

: a hoisting apparatus consisting of two or sometimes more upright spars fastened together at their upper ends and having tackle for masting or dismasting ships or lifting heavy loads (such as guns)

—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

2

chiefly British : the action or process or an instance of shearing

—used in combination to indicate the approximate age of sheep in terms of shearings undergone

3

a

: internal force tangential to the section on which it acts

called also shearing force

b

: an action or stress resulting from applied forces that causes or tends to cause two contiguous parts of a body to slide relatively to each other in a direction parallel to their plane of contact

Synonyms

Verb

• shave
• cut
• trim
• clip

Examples of shear in a Sentence

Verb

The farmers sheared the sheep.

The farmers sheared the wool from the sheep.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The white shark sheared the striped bass in half, and then quickly took off. —Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 3 June 2025

The California coast typically benefits from cooler water that flows southward along the coast and winds that tend to either shear the tops off hurricanes or push them westward away from the coast. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 May 2025

Noun

Here's how to pull poison ivy: Start by clipping off any above-ground stems using sharp shears. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 17 June 2025

Use kitchen shears to cut into thin strips and make sure your hands are dry when handling. —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English sheren, from Old English scieran; akin to Old Norse skera to cut, Latin curtus mutilated, curtailed, Greek keirein to cut, shear, Sanskrit kṛnāti he injures

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing shear

• shear off
• shear pin
• wind shear

Rhymes for shear

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear

Kids Definition

shear

1 of 2 verb

ˈshi(ə)r 

sheared; sheared or shorn ˈshō(ə)rn 

ˈshȯ(ə)rn

; shearing

1

: to cut the hair or wool from

shearing sheep

2

: to deprive of by or as if by cutting off

shorn of power

3

: to become divided under the action of a shear

the bolt may shear off

shearer noun

shear

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: a cutting tool similar or identical to a pair of scissors but typically larger

—usually used in plural

b

: any of various cutting tools or machines operating by the action of opposed cutting edges of metal

—usually used in plural

2

: an action or force that causes or tends to cause two parts of a body to slide on each other in a direction parallel to their plane of contact