Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

shear

verb [I] (BREAK)
 
 
/ʃɪər/ US  /ʃɪr/ (sheared, sheared or shorn) specialized

Definition

If part of something, especially something made of metal, shears, it breaks into two pieces, usually because of a sideways force: The old screws holding the engine casing had sheared (off).Metals and metalworkingChemical elementsTearing and breaking into pieces
(Definition of shear verb (BREAK) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“shear” in other dictionaries

More Results for “shear”

Word of the Day

ride (out) the storm

to manage not to be destroyed, harmed or permanently affected by the difficult situation you...

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More