shear
This word carries a specific sense of slicing by sliding rather than chopping. When applied to animals, it suggests a precise, surface-level removal of wool that leaves the skin intact. It is a specialized agricultural term that differs from general cutting because of the specific tool and technique involved. In engineering and meteorology, the term describes a violent or structural failure where layers move in opposite directions. This creates a feeling of instability or sudden rupture, moving from a state of cohesion to a state of separation under extreme tension.
Countable when referring to a specific instance of structural failure (a shear). Uncountable when referring to the atmospheric phenomenon or the physical force (wind shear).
Meanings
To cut the wool or hair off a sheep or other animal.
"The farmer began to shear the sheep in early spring."
To cut through metal or hard material using a shearing tool, typically by sliding two blades past each other.
"Industrial machines are used to shear the steel plates into precise sheets."