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).
💬Casual Conversation
The groomer messed up. They didn't just trim the dog, they basically decided to shear him.
The groomer messed up. They didn't just trim the dog, they basically decided to shear him.
Rough. He looks like a raw chicken now?
Rough. He looks like a raw chicken now?
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.
Phrasal Verbs
shear off
to break or cut away a piece of something using a shearing force
The heavy wind caused a large branch to shear off from the old oak tree.