Sheer

Webster's Dictionary of the English Language

·adv Clean; quite; at once.

II. Sheer ·noun A turn or change in a course.

III. Sheer ·vi Bright; clear; pure; unmixed.

IV. Sheer ·vt To Shear.

V. Sheer ·noun Shears ·see Shear.

VI. Sheer ·vi Stright up and down; vertical; prpendicular.

VII. Sheer ·vi Very thin or transparent;

— applied to fabrics; as, sheer muslin.

VIII. Sheer ·noun The position of a vessel riding at single anchor and swinging clear of it.

IX. Sheer ·vi Being only what it seems to be; obvious; simple; mere; downright; as, sheer folly; sheer nonsense.

X. Sheer ·noun The longitudinal upward curvature of the deck, gunwale, and lines of a vessel, as when viewed from the side.

XI. Sheer ·vi To decline or deviate from the line of the proper course; to turn aside; to Swerve; as, a ship sheers from her course; a horse sheers at a bicycle.

Related Words

  • sheer

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

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  • sheer

    The longitudinal curve of a ship's decks or sides; the hanging of the vessel's side in a fore-and-af...

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  • Plank-sheer

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

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  • plank-sheer

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

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  • sheer-batten

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

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  • sheer-draught

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

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  • sheer-hulk

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

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  • sheer-lashing

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

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  • sheer-mast

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

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  • sheer-mould

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

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  • sheer-plan

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

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  • sheer-rail

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

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    A drift-sail. ...

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  • sheer-wales

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

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  • 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...

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  • sheer, to break

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

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  • sheer off, to

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

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  • sheer up alongside, to

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

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  • 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...

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