shear
1. shear \'shi(*)r\ \'sho-(*)rn, 'sho.(*)rn\ vb or sheared; or sheared;
or shorn or shear.ing [ME sheren, fr. OE scieran; akin to ON skera to cut,
L cur]tus shortened, Gk keirein to cut, shear 1a: to cut off the hair from
{with crown shorn} 1b: to cut or clip (as hair or wool) from someone or
something; also : to cut something from {shorn sheep} chiefly Scot 1c: to
reap with a sickle 1d: to cut with shears or a similar instrument 2: to
cut with something sharp 3: to deprive of something as if by cutting 1:
to cut through something with or as if with a sharp instrument chiefly
Scot 2: to reap crops with a sickle 3: to become divided under the action
of a shear {bolt may ~ off> - shear.er n
2. shear n often attrib 1a1: a cutting implement similar or identical to a
pair of scissors but typ ically larger - usu. used in pl. 1a2: one blade of
a pair of shears 1b: any of various cutting tools or machines operating by
the action of opp osed cutting edges of metal - usu. used in pl. 1c1:
something resembling a shear or a pair of shears 1c2: a hoisting apparatus
consisting of two or sometimes more spars fastene d together at their upper
ends and having tackle for masting or dismasting ships or lifting guns or
other heavy loads - usu. used in pl. but sing. or pl. in constr. chiefly
Brit 2: SHEARING - used to indicate the age of sheep 3a: internal force
tangential to the section on which it acts : shearing force 3b: an action
or stress resulting from applied forces that causes two conti guous parts
of a body to slide relatively to each other in a direction parallel to
their plane of contact
Webster's English Dictionary