| 释义 |
sheer
I. \ˈshi(ə)r, -iə\ adjective
(-er/-est)
Etymology: Middle English schere acquitted, purged of sin or guilt, probably alteration (influenced by Middle English shire, shir bright, pure, unmixed, from Old English scīr) of skere purged of sin or guilt, unharmed, from Old Norse skærr bright, pure; akin to Old English scīr bright, pure, unmixed, Middle High German schīr, Old Norse skīrr bright, pure, Gothic skeirs clear, Old English scīnan to shine — more at shine
1. obsolete : bright, fair, shining
2. : of very thin or transparent texture : fine and light in weight : diaphanous
< sheer woolens >
< a sheer summer dress >
3.
a. : being wholly as indicated or implied : belonging to such a kind or category and no other : unqualifiedly such : utter, absolute
< frightened by the sheer immensity of the place >
< sheer folly >
b. : being free from any adulterant or diluent : pure, unmixed
< a layer of sheer sand provided drainage >
< sheer ale >
c. : viewed or acting in dissociation from other matters : stressed or functioning to the exclusion of other factors
< the power of sheer mind >
< won through by sheer determination >
4. : marked by great and unrelieved steepness : precipitous
< a sheer drop >
Synonyms: see pure, steep
II. adverb
1. : altogether, completely, directly, quite
< fell sheer into the water >
2. : straight up or down without a break : perpendicularly
III. noun
(-s)
1. : a sheer fabric (as chiffon, organdy, ninon); also : an article (as a dress) of such a fabric
2. : precipice
IV.
chiefly dialect
variant of shear
V.
dialect England
variant of shire
VI. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: perhaps alteration of shear (I)
intransitive verb
: to deviate from a course : turn aside to or as if to avoid collision : swerve — usually used with an adverb of direction (as off, away, up, in)
transitive verb
: to cause to sheer
< sheer a car around a puddle >
< sheer away the brunt of wind-driven tides — Walter Fountain >
Synonyms: see turn
VII. noun
(-s)
1. : a turn, deviation, or change in a course (as of a ship) : swerve
2. : the position of a ship riding to a single anchor and heading toward it
VIII. noun
Etymology: perhaps alteration of shear (II)
1. : the fore-and-aft curvature from bow to stern of a ship's deck as shown in side elevation
2. : sheer strake |