sheer

The Sailor's Word-Book

The longitudinal curve of a ship's decks or sides; the hanging of the vessel's side in a fore-and-aft direction. Also, a fishing-spear in use on the south coast. (See shear.) Also, the position in which a ship is sometimes kept when at single anchor, in order to keep her clear of it [evidently from the Erse sheebh, to drift].

The Sailor's Word-Book

← sheepshank   ×   sheer, to break →

Related Words

  • Sheer

    ·adv Clean; quite; at once. II. Sheer ·noun A turn or change in a course. III. Sheer ·vi Bright; c...

    Webster's Dictionary of the English Language

  • sheer

    Applied in the United States to fabrics of cotton or silk; as, sheer muslin; meaning very thin, clea...

    Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

  • Plank-sheer

    ·noun The course of plank laid horizontally over the timberheads of a vessel's frame. ...

    Webster's Dictionary of the English Language

  • plank-sheer

    Pieces of plank covering the timber-heads round the ship; also, the gunwale or covering-board. The s...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-batten

    A batten stretched horizontally along the shrouds, and seized firmly above each of their dead-eyes, ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-draught

    In ship-building, a section supposed to be cut by a plane passing through the middle line of the kee...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-hulk

    An old ship fitted with sheers, &c., and used for taking out and putting in the masts of other vesse...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-lashing

    Middle the rope, and pass a good turn round both legs at the cross. Then take one end up and the oth...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-mast

    The peculiar rig of the rafts on the Guayaquil river; also of the piratical prahus of the eastern se...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-mould

    Synonymous with ram-line (which see). ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-plan

    The draught of the side of a proposed ship, showing the length, depth, rake, water-lines, &c. ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-rail

    The wrought-rail generally placed well with the sheer or top-timber line; the narrow ornamental moul...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-sail

    A drift-sail. ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer-wales

    Strakes of thick stuff in the top-sides of three-decked ships, between the middle and upper deck-por...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • break-sheer, to

    When a ship at anchor is laid in a proper position to keep clear of her anchor, but is forced by the...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer, to break

    To deviate from that position, and thereby risk fouling the anchor. Thus a vessel riding with short ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer off, to

    To move to a greater distance, or to steer so as to keep clear of a vessel or other object. ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer up alongside, to

    To approach a ship or other object in an oblique direction. ...

    The Sailor's Word-Book

  • sheer to the anchor, to

    To direct the ship's bows by the helm to the place where the anchor lies, while the cable is being h...

    The Sailor's Word-Book