- (n.) The longitudinal upward curvature of the deck, gunwale, and lines of a vessel, as when viewed from the side.
- (n.) The position of a vessel riding at single anchor and swinging clear of it.
- (v.i.) Very thin or transparent; -- applied to fabrics; as, sheer muslin.
- (v.i.) Stright up and down; vertical; prpendicular.
- (v.i.) 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.
- (v.i.) Bright; clear; pure; unmixed.
- (n.) A turn or change in a course.
- (n.) Shears See Shear.
- (adv.) Clean; quite; at once.
- (v.t.) To shear.
- (v.i.) Being only what it seems to be; obvious; simple; mere; downright; as, sheer folly; sheer nonsense.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). sheer. Retrieved September 23, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/sheer/definitions/2061252 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "sheer" http://smartdefine.org/sheer/definitions/2061252 (accessed September 23, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, sheer, Smart Define, viewed 23 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/sheer/definitions/2061252>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "sheer" 28 May 2011. Web. 23 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/sheer/definitions/2061252> |