How to pronounce sheer

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What sheer means

verb

Most people know sheer in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.

To swerve suddenly off a course

In a sentence: The boat began to sheer toward the rocks when a big wave struck its side.

Where it comes from: It comes from scheren, an old word meaning to move aside, related to shear. It is a different word from sheer, very thin, which comes from an Old English word meaning pure or clear.

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