Webster's English Dictionary

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sheer

Cross references:
  1. steep                 
 
1. sheer \'shi(*)r\ aj [ME schere freed from guilt, prob. alter. of skere, 
   fr. ON sk<]a-e>rr pure; akin to OE sci-nan to shine obs  1: BRIGHT, SHINING 
    2: of very thin or transparent texture : DIAPHANOUS  3a: UNQUALIFIED, 
   UTTER {~ folly}  3b: PURE, UNMIXED  3c: viewed or acting in dissociation 
   from all else {won through by ~)R determination} 4: PRECIPITOUS, 
   PERPENDICULAR  - sheer.ly av
2. sheer av 1: ALTOGETHER, COMPLETELY  2: PERPENDICULARLY 
3. sheer vb [perh. alter. of 1shear] : to deviate from a course : SWERVE  : 
   to cause to sheer 
4. sheer n 1: a turn, deviation, or change in a course  2: the position of 
   a ship riding to a single anchor and heading toward it 
5. sheer n [perh. alter. of 2shear] : the fore-and-aft curvature from bow 
   to stern of a ship's deck as shown i n side elevation