sheer
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Related to sheer: shear
sheer
thin; fine; transparent; steep: a sheer nightgown
Not to be confused with:
shear – to clip or cut; remove hair or fleece from: shear the sheep
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
sheer 1
(shîr)intr. & tr.v. sheered, sheer·ing, sheers
To swerve or cause to swerve from a course.
n.
1. A swerving or deviating course.
2.
a. The upward curve or amount of upward curve of the longitudinal lines of a ship's hull as viewed from the side.
b. The position in which a ship at anchor is maintained in order to keep it clear of the anchor.
[Probably partly from Low German scheren, to move to and fro (said of boats), and partly from Dutch scheren, to withdraw; see sker- in Indo-European roots.]
sheer 2
(shîr)adj. sheer·er, sheer·est
1. Thin, fine, and translucent: sheer curtains; sheer chiffon. See Synonyms at airy.
2.
a. Completely such, without qualification or exception: sheer stupidity; sheer happiness.
b. Free from admixture or adulterants; unmixed: sheer alcohol.
c. Considered or operating apart from anything else: got the job through sheer persistence.
3. Almost perpendicular; steep: sheer rock cliffs. See Synonyms at steep1.
adv.
1. Almost perpendicularly.
2. Completely; altogether.
n.
One that is sheer, such as a curtain.
[Obsolete shere, thin, clear, partly from Middle English shir, bright, clear (from Old English scīr) and partly from Middle English skir, bright, clean (from Old Norse skærr).]
sheer′ly adv.
sheer′ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
sheer
(ʃɪə)adj
1. perpendicular; very steep: a sheer cliff.
2. (of textiles) so fine as to be transparent
3. (prenominal) absolute; unmitigated: sheer folly.
4. obsolete bright or shining
adv
5. steeply or perpendicularly
6. completely or absolutely
n
(Textiles) any transparent fabric used for making garments
[Old English scīr; related to Old Norse skīrr bright, Gothic skeirs clear, Middle High German schīr]
ˈsheerly adv
ˈsheerness n
sheer
(ʃɪə)vb
1. to deviate or cause to deviate from a course
2. (intr) to avoid an unpleasant person, thing, topic, etc
n
3. (Nautical Terms) the upward sweep of the deck or bulwarks of a vessel
4. (Nautical Terms) nautical the position of a vessel relative to its mooring
[C17: perhaps variant of shear]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
sheer1
(ʃɪər)adj. -er, -est,
adv., n. adj.
1. transparently thin; diaphanous, as some fabrics: sheer stockings.
2. unmixed with anything else; unadulterated: sheer rock; sheer luck.
3. unqualified; utter: sheer nonsense.
4. extending down or up very steeply; almost completely vertical: a sheer descent.
5. Obs. bright; shining.
adv. 6. completely; quite: drove sheer off the road.
7. perpendicularly; vertically; down or up very steeply.
n. 8. a thin, diaphanous fabric or garment.
[1175–1225]
sheer′ly, adv.
sheer′ness, n.
sheer2
(ʃɪər)v.i.
1. to deviate from a course, as a ship; swerve.
v.t. 2. to cause to sheer.
n. 3. a deviation or divergence, as of a ship from its course.
4. the fore-and-aft upward curve of the hull of a vessel at the main deck or bulwarks.
5. the position in which a ship at anchor is placed to keep it clear of the anchor.
[1620–30; perhaps identical with shear]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
sheer
Past participle: sheered
Gerund: sheering
| Imperative |
|---|
| sheer |
| sheer |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. |  sheer - turn sharply; change direction abruptly; "The car cut to the left at the intersection"; "The motorbike veered to the right"turn - change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense; "Turn towards me"; "The mugger turned and fled before I could see his face"; "She turned from herself and learned to listen to others' needs" peel off - leave a formation yaw - swerve off course momentarily; "the ship yawed when the huge waves hit it" |
| 2. | sheer - cause to sheer; "She sheered her car around the obstacle" channelise, channelize, guide, maneuver, steer, manoeuver, manoeuvre, point, head, direct - direct the course; determine the direction of travelling | |
| Adj. | 1. |  sheer - complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers; "absolute freedom"; "an absolute dimwit"; "a downright lie"; "out-and-out mayhem"; "an out-and-out lie"; "a rank outsider"; "many right-down vices"; "got the job through sheer persistence"; "sheer stupidity"complete - having every necessary or normal part or component or step; "a complete meal"; "a complete wardrobe"; "a complete set of the Britannica"; "a complete set of china"; "a complete defeat"; "a complete accounting" |
| 2. |  sheer - not mixed with extraneous elements; "plain water"; "sheer wine"; "not an unmixed blessing"pure - free of extraneous elements of any kind; "pure air and water"; "pure gold"; "pure primary colors"; "the violin's pure and lovely song"; "pure tones"; "pure oxygen" | |
| 3. | sheer - very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front; "a bluff headland"; "where the bold chalk cliffs of England rise"; "a sheer descent of rock" steep - having a sharp inclination; "the steep attic stairs"; "steep cliffs" | |
| 4. |  sheer - so thin as to transmit light; "a hat with a diaphanous veil"; "filmy wings of a moth"; "gauzy clouds of dandelion down"; "gossamer cobwebs"; "sheer silk stockings"; "transparent chiffon"; "vaporous silks"cobwebby, diaphanous, filmy, gauze-like, gauzy, see-through, vaporous, vapourous, transparent, gossamer thin - of relatively small extent from one surface to the opposite or in cross section; "thin wire"; "a thin chiffon blouse"; "a thin book"; "a thin layer of paint" | |
| Adv. | 1. | sheer - straight up or down without a break |
| 2. | sheer - directly; "he fell sheer into the water" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
sheer
adjective
1. total, complete, absolute, utter, rank, pure, downright, unqualified, out-and-out, unadulterated, unmitigated, thoroughgoing, unalloyed, arrant acts of sheer desperation
total moderate
total moderate
2. steep, abrupt, perpendicular, precipitous There was a sheer drop just outside my window.
steep gentle, gradual, horizontal, sloping, slanting
steep gentle, gradual, horizontal, sloping, slanting
3. fine, thin, transparent, see-through, gossamer, diaphanous, gauzy sheer black tights
fine heavy, thick, coarse, opaque, impenetrable
fine heavy, thick, coarse, opaque, impenetrable
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
sheer 1
verbsheer 2
adjective1. So light and insubstantial as to resemble air or a thin film:
2. Completely such, without qualification or exception:
absolute, all-out, arrant, complete, consummate, crashing, damned, dead, downright, flat, out-and-out, outright, perfect, plain, pure, thorough, thoroughgoing, total, unbounded, unequivocal, unlimited, unmitigated, unqualified, unrelieved, unreserved, utter.
Chiefly British: blooming.
3. Free from extraneous elements:
4. So sharply inclined as to be almost perpendicular:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
شَفّاف، رَهيفعَموديعَمودِيّامُجَرَّدمُطْلَق ، مَحْض، صِرْف
absolutníčirýodchýlit sepřímo vzhůrustrmý
dreje aflodretrenstejltynd
pelkkä
potpun
algerbreyta um stefnulóîréttnæfuròunnuròverhníptur
全くの
완전한
absolūtsgluži nejaušikraujikraujšnogriezties
skrajen
skir
เต็มที่
hoàn toàn
sheer
1 [ʃɪəʳ]A. ADJ (sheerer (compar) (sheerest (superl)))
1. (= absolute) → puro, absoluto
by sheer accident; by sheer chance → de pura casualidad
in sheer desperation → en último extremo
by sheer hard work → gracias simplemente al trabajo
the sheer impossibility of → la total imposibilidad de ... PURE
by sheer accident; by sheer chance → de pura casualidad
in sheer desperation → en último extremo
by sheer hard work → gracias simplemente al trabajo
the sheer impossibility of → la total imposibilidad de ... PURE
2. (= transparent) → transparente, fino
3. (= precipitous) → escarpado
B. ADV it falls sheer to the sea → baja sin obstáculo alguno hasta el mar
it rises sheer for 100 metres → se levanta verticalmente unos 100 metros
it rises sheer for 100 metres → se levanta verticalmente unos 100 metros
sheer
2 [ʃɪəʳ] VI to sheer away from a topic → desviarse de un tema, evitar hablar de un temaCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
sheer
[ˈʃɪər] adj
(= pure) [boredom, delight, desperation, madness, stupidity] → pur(e), pur(e) et simple
It's sheer greed → C'est de l'avidité pure.
by sheer chance → par pur hasard
It's sheer greed → C'est de l'avidité pure.
by sheer chance → par pur hasard
(= almost transparent) [fabric, tights] → très fin(e)
adv → à pic, abruptement
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
sheer
adj (+er)
(= absolute) → rein; nonsense, madness → rein, glatt; stupidity → rein, schier; by sheer force of personality → aufgrund or auf Grund seiner Persönlichkeit; by sheer chance → rein zufällig; by sheer hard work → durch nichts als harte Arbeit; the sheer impossibility of doing that → die schiere Unmöglichkeit, das zu tun; it was sheer hell → es war die (reinste) Hölle (inf)
vi (Naut) → ausscheren
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
sheer
1 [ʃɪəʳ]1. adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl)))
a. (utter, madness, greed) → puro/a; (waste of time) → totale; (necessity) → assoluto/a
that's sheer robbery! → è un furto bello e buono!
the sheer impossibility of ... → l'assoluta impossibilità di...
by sheer chance, by a sheer accident → per puro caso or pura combinazione
that's sheer robbery! → è un furto bello e buono!
the sheer impossibility of ... → l'assoluta impossibilità di...
by sheer chance, by a sheer accident → per puro caso or pura combinazione
b. (transparent) → trasparente
2. adv → a picco, a perpendicolo
sheer
2 [ʃɪəʳ] vi (also to sheer off) (gen) (Naut) → deviareCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
sheer1
(ʃiə) adjective1. absolute. Her singing was a sheer delight; It all happened by sheer chance.
2. very steep. a sheer drop to the sea.
3. (of cloth) very thin. sheer silk.
adverb verticaly. The land rises sheer out of the sea.
sheer2
(ʃiə) : sheer off/away to turn aside or swerve. The speed-boat sheered off course.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
sheer
→ مُجَرَّد absolutní ren rein αμιγής puro pelkkä pur potpun puro 全くの 완전한 doorzichtig ren czysty completo абсолютный skir เต็มที่ tam hoàn toàn 全然的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009