sheer

sheer
[[t]ʃɪ͟ə(r)[/t]]
sheerer, sheerest
1) ADJ: ADJ n (emphasis) You can use sheer to emphasize that a state or situation is complete and does not involve or is not mixed with anything else.

His music is sheer delight...

Sheer chance quite often plays an important part in sparking off an idea.

...acts of sheer desperation.

Syn:
2) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n A sheer cliff or drop is extremely steep or completely vertical.

There was a sheer drop just outside my window...

A young man plunged from a sheer rock face to his death.

3) ADJ-GRADED Sheer material is very thin, light, and delicate.

...sheer black tights.


English dictionary. 2008.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sheer — Sheer, n. 1. (Naut.) (a) The longitudinal upward curvature of the deck, gunwale, and lines of a vessel, as when viewed from the side. (b) The position of a vessel riding at single anchor and swinging clear of it. [1913 Webster] 2. A turn or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sheer — Sheer, a. [OE. shere, skere, pure, bright, Icel. sk?rr; akin to sk[=i]rr, AS. sc[=i]r, OS. sk[=i]ri, MHG. sch[=i]r, G. schier, Dan. sk?r, Sw. sk[ a]r, Goth. skeirs clear, and E. shine. [root]157. See {Shine}, v. i.] 1. Bright; clear; pure;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sheer — may refer to: *Sheer Music, a record label *Sheer curation, a lightweight approach to digital curation *Sheer (textile), for sheer textiles and fabrics *Sheer is a measure of longitudinal deck curvature in naval architecture.ee also*Shear *Shere… …   Wikipedia

  • Sheer — Sheer, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Sheered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Sheering}.] [D. sheren to shear, cut, withdraw, warp. See {Shear}.] To decline or deviate from the line of the proper course; to turn aside; to swerve; as, a ship sheers from her course; a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • sheer — sheer; sheer·ly; sheer·ness; tab·a·sheer; …   English syllables

  • sheer — sheer1 [shir] vi. [var. of SHEAR, prob. infl. by Du or LowG scheren, to cut, deviate, warp away] to turn aside sharply from a course; swerve vt. to cause to sheer n. 1. a sudden change of course; abrupt turn; swerve 2. the oblique heading or… …   English World dictionary

  • Sheer — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Gordy Sheer (* 1971), US amerikanischer Rennrodler Ireen Sheer (* 1949), deutsch britische Schlagersängerin Siehe auch: Scheer Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsk …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • sheer — c.1200, exempt, free from guilt, later schiere thin, sparse (c.1400), from O.E. scir bright, clear, influenced by O.N. cognate scær bright, clean, pure, from P.Gmc. *skairijaz (Cf. O.S. skiri, O.Fris. skire, Ger. schier, Goth. skeirs clean, pure… …   Etymology dictionary

  • sheer — [adj1] abrupt, steep arduous, erect, headlong, perpendicular, precipitate, precipitous, sideling, upright; concepts 490,581 Ant. moderate, slow sheer [adj2] utter, absolute altogether, arrant, blasted, blessed, complete, confounded, downright,… …   New thesaurus

  • sheer — Ⅰ. sheer [1] ► ADJECTIVE 1) nothing but; absolute: sheer hard work. 2) (of a cliff, wall, etc.) perpendicular or nearly so. 3) (of a fabric) very thin. ► ADVERB ▪ perpendicularly. DERIVATIVES …   English terms dictionary

  • Sheer — Sheer, adv. Clean; quite; at once. [Obs.] Milton. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”