Chapter CDIV: Prologue (55)

6. (Iron Manuf.) (a) A rolled or hammered piece, as a bar, beam, angle iron, etc., having a cross section different from merchant bar. (b) A piece which has been roughly forged nearly to the form it will receive when completely forged or fitted. To take shape, to assume a definite form.

SHAPELESS Shape"less, a.

Defn: Destitute of shape or regular form; wanting symmetry of dimensions; misshapen; -- opposed to Ant: shapely. -- Shape"less*ness, n. The shapeless rock, or hanging precipice. Pope.

SHAPELINESS Shape"li*ness, n.

Defn: The quality or state of being shapely.

SHAPELY Shape"ly, a. [Compar. Shapelier; superl. Shapeliest.]

1. Well-formed; having a regular shape; comely; symmetrical. T. Warton. Waste sandy valleys, once perplexed with thorn, The spiry fir and shapely box adorn. Pope. Where the shapely column stood. Couper.

2. Fit; suitable. [Obs.] Shaply for to be an alderman. Chaucer.

SHAPER Shap"er, n.

1. One who shapes; as, the shaper of one's fortunes. The secret of those old shapers died with them. Lowell.

2. That which shapes; a machine for giving a particular form or outline to an object. Specifically; (a) (Metal Working) A kind of planer in which the tool, instead of the work, receives a reciprocating motion, usually from a crank. (b) (Wood Working) A machine with a vertically revolving cutter projecting above a flat table top, for cutting irregular outlines, moldings, etc.

SHAPOO Sha"poo, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The oörial.

SHAPS Shaps, n. pl. [Shortened fr. chaparajos. Cf. Chaps.]

Defn: Chaparajos. [Western U. S.]

A pair of gorgeous buckskin shaps, embroidered up the sides and adorned with innumerable ermine skins. The Century.

SHARD Shard, n.

Defn: A plant; chard. [Obs.] Dryden.

SHARD Shard, n. Etym: [AS. sceard, properly a p. p. from the root of scearn to shear, to cut; akin to D. schaard a fragment, G. scharte a notch, Icel. skar. See Shear, and cf. Sherd.] [Written also sheard, and sherd.]

1. A piece or fragment of an earthen vessel, or a like brittle substance, as the shell of an egg or snail. Shak. The precious dish Broke into shards of beauty on the board. E. Arnold.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The hard wing case of a beetle. They are his shards, and he their beetle. Shak.

3. A gap in a fence. [Obs.] Stanyhurst.

4. A boundary; a division. [Obs. & R.] Spenser.

SHARD-BORNE Shard"-borne`, a.

Defn: Borne on shards or scaly wing cases. "The shard-borne beetle." Shak.

SHARDED Shard"ed, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having elytra, as a beetle.

SHARDY Shard"y, a.

Defn: Having, or consisting of, shards.

SHARE Share, n. Etym: [OE. schar, AS. scear; akin to OHG. scaro, G. schar, pflugshar, and E. shear, v. See Shear.]

1. The part (usually an iron or steel plate) of a plow which cuts the ground at the bottom of a furrow; a plowshare.

2. The part which opens the ground for the reception of the seed, in a machine for sowing seed. Knight.

SHARE Share, n. Etym: [OE. share, AS. scearu, scaru, fr. sceran to shear, cut. See Shear, v.]

1. A certain quantity; a portion; a part; a division; as, a small share of prudence.

2. Especially, the part allotted or belonging to one, of any property or interest owned by a number; a portion among others; an apportioned lot; an allotment; a dividend. "My share of fame." Dryden.

3. Hence, one of a certain number of equal portions into which any property or invested capital is divided; as, a ship owned in ten shares.

4. The pubes; the sharebone. [Obs.] Holland. To go shares, to partake; to be equally concerned. -- Share and share alike, in equal shares.

SHARE Share, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shared; p. pr. & vb. n. Sharing.]

1. To part among two or more; to distribute in portions; to divide. Suppose I share my fortune equally between my children and a stranger. Swift.

2. To partake of, use, or experience, with others; to have a portion of; to take and possess in common; as, to share a shelter with another. While avarice and rapine share the land. Milton.

3. To cut; to shear; to cleave; to divide. [Obs.] The shared visage hangs on equal sides. Dryden.

SHARE Share, v. i.

Defn: To have part; to receive a portion; to partake, enjoy, or suffer with others. A right of inheritance gave every one a title to share in the goods of his father. Locke.

SHAREBEAM Share"beam`, n.

Defn: The part of the plow to which the share is attached.

SHAREBONE Share"bone`, n. (Anat.)

Defn: The public bone.

SHAREBROKER Share"bro`ker, n.

Defn: A broker who deals in railway or other shares and securities.

SHAREHOLDER Share"hold`er, n.

Defn: One who holds or owns a share or shares in a joint fund or property.

SHARER Shar"er, n.

Defn: One who shares; a participator; a partaker; also, a divider; a distributer.

SHAREWORT Share"wort`, n. (Bot.)

Defn: A composite plant (Aster Tripolium) growing along the seacoast of Europe.

SHARK Shark, n. Etym: [Of uncertain origin; perhaps through OF. fr. carcharus a kind of dogfish, Gr. Shark, v. t.&i.); cf. Corn. scarceas.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of elasmobranch fishes of the order Plagiostomi, found in all seas.

Note: Some sharks, as the basking shark and the whale shark, grow to an enormous size, the former becoming forty feet or more, and the latter sixty feet or more, in length. Most of them are harmless to man, but some are exceedingly voracious. The man-eating sharks mostly belong to the genera Carcharhinus, Carcharodon, and related genera. They have several rows of large sharp teeth with serrated edges, as the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias, or Rondeleti) of tropical seas, and the great blue shark (Carcharhinus glaucus) of all tropical and temperate seas. The former sometimes becomes thirty-six feet long, and is the most voracious and dangerous species known. The rare man-eating shark of the United States coast (Charcarodon Atwoodi) is thought by some to be a variety, or the young, of C. carcharias. The dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus), and the smaller blue shark (C. caudatus), both common species on the coast of the United States, are of moderate size and not dangerous. They feed on shellfish and bottom fishes.

2. A rapacious, artful person; a sharper. [Colloq.]

3. Trickery; fraud; petty rapine; as, to live upon the shark. [Obs.] South. Baskin shark, Liver shark, Nurse shark, Oil shark, Sand shark, Tiger shark, etc. See under Basking, Liver, etc. See also Dogfish, Houndfish, Notidanian, and Tope. -- Gray shark, the sand shark. -- Hammer-headed shark. See Hammerhead. -- Port Jackson shark. See Cestraciont. -- Shark barrow, the eggcase of a shark; a sea purse. -- Shark ray. Same as Angel fish (a), under Angel. -- Thrasher shark, or Thresher shark, a large, voracious shark. See Thrasher. -- Whale shark, a huge harmless shark (Rhinodon typicus) of the Indian Ocean. It becomes sixty feet or more in length, but has very small teeth.

SHARK Shark, v. t. Etym: [Of uncertain origin; perhaps fr. shark, n., or perhaps related to E. shear (as hearken to hear), and originally meaning, to clip off. Cf. Shirk.]

Defn: To pick or gather indiscriminately or covertly. [Obs.] Shak.

SHARK Shark, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sharked; p. pr. & vb. n. Sharking.]

1. To play the petty thief; to practice fraud or trickery; to swindle. Neither sharks for a cup or a reckoning. Bp. Earle.

2. To live by shifts and stratagems. Beau & Fl.

SHARKER Shark"er, n.

Defn: One who lives by sharking.

SHARKING Shark"ing, n.

Defn: Petty rapine; trick; also, seeking a livelihood by shifts and dishonest devices.

SHAROCK Shar"ock, n.

Defn: An East Indian coin of the value of 12

SHARP Sharp, a. [Compar. Sharper; superl. Sharpest.] Etym: [OE. sharp, scharp, scarp, AS. scearp; akin to OS. skarp, LG. scharp, D. scherp, G. scharf, Dan. & Sw. skarp, Icel. skarpr. Cf. Escarp, Scrape, Scorpion.]

1. Having a very thin edge or fine point; of a nature to cut or pierce easily; not blunt or dull; keen. He dies upon my scimeter's sharp point. Shak.

2. Terminating in a point or edge; not obtuse or rounded; somewhat pointed or edged; peaked or ridged; as, a sharp hill; sharp features.

3. Affecting the sense as if pointed or cutting, keen, penetrating, acute: to the taste or smell, pungent, acid, sour, as ammonia has a sharp taste and odor; to the hearing, piercing, shrill, as a sharp sound or voice; to the eye, instantaneously brilliant, dazzling, as a sharp flash.

4. (Mus.) (a) High in pitch; acute; as, a sharp note or tone. (b) Raised a semitone in pitch; as, C sharp (C#), which is a half step, or semitone, higher than C. (c) So high as to be out of tune, or above true pitch; as, the tone is sharp; that instrument is sharp. Opposed in all these senses to Ant: flat.

5. Very trying to the feelings; pierching; keen; severe; painful; distressing; as, sharp pain, weather; a sharp and frosty air. Sharp misery had worn him to the bones. Shak. The morning sharp and clear. Cowper. In sharpest perils faithful proved. Keble.

6. Cutting in language or import; biting; sarcastic; cruel; harsh; rigorous; severe; as, a sharp rebuke. "That sharp look." Tennyson. To that place the sharp Athenian law Can not pursue us. Shak. Be thy words severe, Sharp as merits but the sword forbear. Dryden.

7. Of keen perception; quick to discern or distinguish; having nice discrimination; acute; penetrating; sagacious; clever; as, a sharp eye; sharp sight, hearing, or judgment. Nothing makes men sharper . . . than want. Addison. Many other things belong to the material world, wherein the sharpest philosophers have never yeL. Watts.

8. Eager in pursuit; keen in quest; impatient for gratification; keen; as, a sharp appetite.

9. Fierce; ardent; fiery; violent; impetuous. "In sharp contest of battle." Milton. A sharp assault already is begun. Dryden.

10. Keenly or unduly attentive to one's own interest; close and exact in dealing; shrewd; as, a sharp dealer; a sharp customer. The necessity of being so sharp and exacting. Swift.

11. Composed of hard, angular grains; gritty; as, sharp sand. Moxon.

12. Steep; precipitous; abrupt; as, a sharp ascent or descent; a sharp turn or curve.

13. (Phonetics)

Defn: Uttered in a whisper, or with the breath alone, without voice, as certain consonants, such as p, k, t, f; surd; nonvocal; aspirated.

Note: Sharp is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, sharp-cornered, sharp-edged, sharp-pointed, sharp- tasted, sharp-visaged, etc. Sharp practice, the getting of an advantage, or the attempt to do so, by a tricky expedient. -- To brace sharp, or To sharp up (Naut.), to turn the yards to the most oblique position possible, that the ship may lie well up to the wind.

Syn. -- Keen; acute; piercing; penetrating; quick; sagacious; discerning; shrewd; witty; ingenious; sour; acid; tart; pungent; acrid; severe; poignant; biting; acrimonious; sarcastic; cutting; bitter; painful; afflictive; violent; harsh; fierce; ardent; fiery.

SHARP Sharp, adv.

1. To a point or edge; piercingly; eagerly; sharply. M. Arnold. The head [of a spear] full sharp yground. Chaucer. You bite so sharp at reasons. Shak.

2. Precisely; exactly; as, we shall start at ten o'clock sharp. [Colloq.] Look sharp, attend; be alert. [Colloq.]

SHARP Sharp, n.

1. A sharp tool or weapon. [Obs.] If butchers had but the manners to go to sharps, gentlemen would be contented with a rubber at cuffs. Collier.

2. (Mus.) (a) The character [#] used to indicate that the note before which it is placed is to be raised a half step, or semitone, in pitch. (b) A sharp tone or note. Shak.

3. A portion of a stream where the water runs very rapidly. [Prov. Eng.] C. Kingsley.

4. A sewing needle having a very slender point; a needle of the most pointed of the three grades, blunts, betweens, and sharps.

5. pl.

Defn: Same as Middlings, 1.

6. An expert. [Slang]

SHARP Sharp, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sharped; p. pr. & vb. n. Sharping.]

1. To sharpen. [Obs.] Spenser.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: To raise above the proper pitch; to elevate the tone of; especially, to raise a half step, or semitone, above the natural tone.

SHARP Sharp, v. i.

1. To play tricks in bargaining; to act the sharper. L'Estrange.

2. (Mus.)

Defn: To sing above the proper pitch.

SHARP-CUT Sharp-cut`, a.

Defn: Cut sharply or definitely, or so as to make a clear, well- defined impression, as the lines of an engraved plate, and the like; clear-cut; hence, having great distinctness; well-defined; clear.

SHARPEN Sharp"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sarpened; p. pr. & vb. n. Sharpening.] Etym: [See Sharp, a.]

Defn: To make sharp. Specifically: (a) To give a keen edge or fine point to; to make sharper; as, to sharpen an ax, or the teeth of a saw. (b) To render more quick or acute in perception; to make more ready or ingenious. The air . . . sharpened his visual ray To objects distant far. Milton. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Burke.

(c) To make more eager; as, to sharpen men's desires. Epicurean cooks Sharpen with cloyless sauce his appetite. Shak.

(d) To make more pungent and intense; as, to sharpen a pain or disease. (e) To make biting, sarcastic, or severe. "Sharpen each word." E. Smith. (f) To render more shrill or piercing. Inclosures not only preserve sound, but increase and sharpen it. Bacon.

(g) To make more tart or acid; to make sour; as, the rays of the sun sharpen vinegar. (h) (Mus. ) To raise, as a sound, by means of a sharp; to apply a sharp to.

SHARPEN Sharp"en, v. i.

Defn: To grow or become sharp.

SHARPER Sharp"er, n.

Defn: A person who bargains closely, especially, one who cheats in bargains; a swinder; also, a cheating gamester. Sharpers, as pikes, prey upon their own kind. L'Estrange.

Syn. -- Swindler; cheat; deceiver; trickster; rogue. See Swindler.

SHARPIE Sharp"ie, n. (Naut.)

Defn: A long, sharp, flat-bottomed boat, with one or two masts carrying a triangular sail. They are often called Fair Haven sharpies, after the place on the coast of Connecticut where they originated. [Local, U.S.]

SHARPLING Sharp"ling, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A stickleback. [Prov. Eng.]

SHARPLY Sharp"ly, adv.

Defn: In a sharp manner,; keenly; acutely. They are more sharply to be chastised and reformed than the rude Irish. Spenser. The soldiers were sharply assailed with wants. Hayward. You contract your eye when you would see sharply. Bacon.

SHARPNESS Sharp"ness, n. Etym: [AS. scearpness.]

Defn: The quality or condition of being sharp; keenness; acuteness.

SHARPSAW Sharp"saw`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The great titmouse; -- so called from its harsh call notes. [Prov. Eng.]

SHARP-SET Sharp"-set`, a.

Defn: Eager in appetite or desire of gratification; affected by keen hunger; ravenous; as, an eagle or a lion sharp-set. The town is sharp-set on new plays. Pope.

SHARPSHOOTER Sharp"shoot`er, n.

Defn: One skilled in shooting at an object with exactness; a good marksman.

SHARPSHOOTING Sharp"shoot`ing, n.

Defn: A shooting with great precision and effect; hence, a keen contest of wit or argument.

SHARP-SIGHTED Sharp"-sight`ed, a.

Defn: Having quick or acute sight; -- used literally and figuratively. -- Sharp`-sight`ed*ness, n.

SHARPTAIL Sharp"tail`, n. (Zoöl.) (a) The pintail duck. (b) The pintail grouse, or prairie chicken.

SHARP-WITTED Sharp"-wit`ted, a.

Defn: Having an acute or nicely discerning mind.

SHASH Shash, n. Etym: [See Sash.]

1. The scarf of a turban. [Obs.] Fuller.

2. A sash. [Obs.]

SHASTA Shas"ta, n.

Defn: A mountain peak, etc., in California.

SHASTA DAISY Shasta daisy.

Defn: A large-flowered garden variety of the oxeye daisy.

SHASTA FIR Shasta fir.

Defn: A Californian fir (Abies shastensis).

SHASTA SAM Shasta Sam. (Card Playing)

Defn: A game like California Jack, except that the pack drawn from is turned face down.

SHASTER; SHASTRA Shas"ter, Shas"tra, n. Etym: [Skr. castra an order or command, a sacred book, fr. cas to order, instruct, govern. Cf. Sastra.]

Defn: A treatise for authoritative instruction among the Hindoos; a book of institutes; especially, a treatise explaining the Vedas. [Written also sastra.]

SHATHMONT Shath"mont (, n.

Defn: A shaftment. [Scot.]

SHATTER Shat"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shattered; p. pr. & vb. n. Shattering.] Etym: [OE. schateren, scateren, to scatter, to dash, AS. scateran; cf. D. schateren to crack, to make a great noise, OD. schetteren to scatter, to burst, to crack. Cf. Scatter.]

1. To break at once into many pieces; to dash, burst, or part violently into fragments; to rend into splinters; as, an explosion shatters a rock or a bomb; too much steam shatters a boiler; an oak is shattered by lightning. A monarchy was shattered to pieces, and divided amongst revolted subjects. Locke.

2. To disorder; to derange; to render unsound; as, to be shattered in intellect; his constitution was shattered; his hopes were shattered. A man of a loose, volatile, and shattered humor. Norris.

3. To scatter about. [Obs.] Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year. Milton.

SHATTER Shat"ter, v. i.

Defn: To be broken into fragments; to fal Some fragile bodies break but where the force is; some shatter and fly in many places. Bacon.

SHATTER Shat"ter, n.

Defn: A fragment of anything shattered; -- used chiefly or soley in the phrase into shatters; as, to break a glass into shatters. Swift.

SHATTER-BRAINED; SHATTER-PATED Shat"ter-brained`, Shat"ter-pat`ed, a.

Defn: Disordered or wandering in intellect; hence, heedless; wild. J. Goodman.

SHATTERY Shat"ter*y, a.

Defn: Easily breaking into pieces; not compact; loose of texture; brittle; as, shattery spar.

SHAVE Shave,

Defn: obs. p. p. of Shave. Chaucer. His beard was shave as nigh as ever he can. Chaucer.

SHAVE Shave, v. t. [imp. Shaved;p. p. Shaved or Shaven (; p. pr. & vb. n. Shaving.] Etym: [OE. shaven, schaven, AS. scafan, sceafan; akin to D. schaven, G. schaben, Icel. skafa, Sw. skafva, Dan. skave, Goth. scaban, Russ. kopate to dig, Gr. scabere to scratch, to scrape. Cf. Scab, Shaft, Shape.]

1. To cut or pare off from the surface of a body with a razor or other edged instrument; to cut off closely, as with a razor; as, to shave the beard.

2. To make bare or smooth by cutting off closely the surface, or surface covering, of; especially, to remove the hair from with a razor or other sharp instrument; to take off the beard or hair of; as, to shave the face or the crown of the head; he shaved himself. I'll shave your crown for this. Shak. The laborer with the bending scythe is seen Shaving the surface of the waving green. Gay.

3. To cut off thin slices from; to cut in thin slices. Plants bruised or shaven in leaf or root. Bacon.

4. To skim along or near the surface of; to pass close to, or touch lightly, in passing. Now shaves with level wing the deep. Milton.

5. To strip; to plunder; to fleece. [Colloq.] To shave a note, to buy it at a discount greater than the legal rate of interest, or to deduct in discounting it more than the legal rate allows. [Cant, U.S.]

SHAVE Shave, v. i.

Defn: To use a razor for removing the beard; to cut closely; hence, to be hard and severe in a bargain; to practice extortion; to cheat.

SHAVE Shave, n. Etym: [AS. scafa, sceafa, a sort of knife. See Shave, v. t.]

1. A thin slice; a shaving. Wright.

2. A cutting of the beard; the operation of shaving.

3. (a) An exorbitant discount on a note. [Cant, U.S.] (b) A premium paid for an extension of the time of delivery or payment, or for the right to vary a stock contract in any particular. [Cant, U.S.] N. Biddle.

4. A hand tool consisting of a sharp blade with a handle at each end; a drawing knife; a spokeshave.

5. The act of passing very near to, so as almost to graze; as, the bullet missed by a close shave. [Colloq.] Shave grass (Bot.), the scouring rush. See the Note under Equisetum. -- Shave hook, a tool for scraping metals, consisting of a sharp- edged triangular steel plate attached to a shank and handle.

SHAVELING Shave"ling, n.

Defn: A man shaved; hence, a monk, or other religious; -- used in contempt. I am no longer a shaveling than while my frock is on my back. Sir W. Scott.

SHAVER Shav"er, n.

1. One who shaves; one whose occupation is to shave.

2. One who is close in bargains; a sharper. Swift.

3. One who fleeces; a pillager; a plunderer. By these shavers the Turks were stripped. Knolles.

4. A boy; a lad; a little fellow. [Colloq.] "These unlucky little shavers." Salmagundi. As I have mentioned at the door to this young shaver, I am on a chase in the name of the king. Dickens.

5. (Mech.)

Defn: A tool or machine for shaving. A note shaver, a person who buys notes at a discount greater than the legal rate of interest. [Cant, U.S.]

SHAVING Shav"ing, n.

1. The act of one who, or that which, shaves; specifically, the act of cutting off the beard with a razor.

2. That which is shaved off; a thin slice or strip pared off with a shave, a knife, a plane, or other cutting instrument. "Shaving of silver." Chaucer. Shaving brush, a brush used in lathering the face preparatory to shaving it.

SHAW Shaw, n. Etym: [OE. schawe, scha, thicket, grove, AS. scaga; akin to Dan. skov, Sw. skog, Icel. sk.]

1. A thicket; a small wood or grove. [Obs. or Prov.Eng. & Scot.] Burns. Gaillard he was as goldfinch in the shaw. Chaucer. The green shaws, the merry green woods. Howitt.

2. pl.

Defn: The leaves and tops of vegetables, as of potatoes, turnips, etc. [Scot.] Jamieson.

SHAWFOWL Shaw"fowl`, n. Etym: [Scot. schaw, shaw, show + fowl.]

Defn: The representation or image of a fowl made by fowlers to shoot at. Johnson.

SHAWL Shawl, n. Etym: [Per. & Hind. shal: cf. F. châle.]

Defn: A square or oblong cloth of wool, cotton, silk, or other textile or netted fabric, used, especially by women, as a loose covering for the neck and shoulders. India shawl, a kind of rich shawl made in India from the wool of the Cashmere goat. It is woven in pieces, which are sewed together. -- Shawl goat (Zoöl.), the Cashmere goat.

SHAWL Shawl, v. t.

Defn: To wrap in a shawl. Thackeray.

SHAWM Shawm, n. Etym: [OE. shalmie, OF. chalemie; cf. F. chalumeau shawm, chaume haulm, stalk; all fr. L. calamus a reed, reed pipe. See Haulm, and cf. Calumet.] (Mus.)

Defn: A wind instrument of music, formerly in use, supposed to have resembled either the clarinet or the hautboy in form. [Written also shalm, shaum.] Otway. Even from the shrillest shaum unto the cornamute. Drayton.

SHAWNEES Shaw`nees", n. pl.; sing. Shawnee (. (Ethnol.)

Defn: A tribe of North American Indians who occupied Western New York and part of Ohio, but were driven away and widely dispersed by the Iroquois.

SHAY Shay, n.

Defn: A chaise. [Prov. Eng. & Local, U.S.]

SHE She, pron. [sing. nom. She; poss. Her. ( or Hers (; obj. Her; pl. nom. They; poss. Their or Theirs (; obj. Them.] Etym: [OE. she, sche, scheo, scho, AS. seó, fem. of the definite article, originally a demonstrative pronoun; cf. OS. siu, D. zij, G. sie, OHG. siu, si, si, Icel. su, sja, Goth. si she, so, fem. article, Russ. siia, fem., this, Gr. sa, sya. The possessive her or hers, and the objective her, are from a different root. See Her.]

1. This or that female; the woman understood or referred to; the animal of the female sex, or object personified as feminine, which was spoken of. She loved her children best in every wise. Chaucer. Then Sarah denied, . . . for she was afraid. Gen. xviii. 15.

2. A woman; a female; -- used substantively. [R.] Lady, you are the cruelest she alive. Shak.

Note: She is used in composition with nouns of common gender, for female, to denote an animal of the female sex; as, a she-bear; a she- cat.

SHEADING Shead"ing, n. Etym: [From AS. scadan, sceádan, to separate, divide. See Shed, v. t.]

Defn: A tithing, or division, in the Isle of Man, in which there is a coroner, or chief constable. The island is divided into six sheadings.

SHEAF Sheaf, n. (Mech.)

Defn: A sheave. [R.]

SHEAF Sheaf, n.; pl. Sheaves. Etym: [OE. sheef, shef, schef, AS. sceáf; akin to D. schoof, OHG. scoub, G. schaub, Icel. skauf a fox's brush, and E. shove. See Shove.]

1. A quantity of the stalks and ears of wheat, rye, or other grain, bound together; a bundle of grain or straw. The reaper fills his greedy hands, And binds the golden sheaves in brittle bands. Dryden.

2. Any collection of things bound together; a bundle; specifically, a bundle of arrows sufficient to fill a quiver, or the allowance of each archer, -- usually twenty-four. The sheaf of arrows shook and rattled in the case. Dryden.

SHEAF Sheaf, v. t.

Defn: To gather and bind into a sheaf; to make into sheaves; as, to sheaf wheat.

SHEAF Sheaf, v. i.

Defn: To collect and bind cut grain, or the like; to make sheaves. They that reap must sheaf and bind. Shak.

SHEAFY Sheaf"y, a.

Defn: Pertaining to, or consisting of, a sheaf or sheaves; resembling a sheaf.

SHEAL Sheal, n.

Defn: Same as Sheeling. [Scot.]

SHEAL Sheal, v. t.

Defn: To put under a sheal or shelter. [Scot.]

SHEAL Sheal, v. t. Etym: [See Shell.]

Defn: To take the husks or pods off from; to shell; to empty of its contents, as a husk or a pod. [Obs. or Prov.Eng. & Scot.] Jamieson. That's a shealed peascod. Shak.

SHEAL Sheal, n.

Defn: A shell or pod. [Obs. or Prov.Eng.]

SHEALING Sheal"ing, n.

Defn: The outer husk, pod, or shell, as of oats, pease, etc.; sheal; shell. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.]

SHEALING Sheal"ing, n.

Defn: Same as Sheeling. [Scot.]

SHEAR Shear, v. t. [imp. Sheared or Shore (;p. p. Sheared or Shorn (; p. pr. & vb. n. Shearing.] Etym: [OE. sheren, scheren, to shear, cut, shave, AS. sceran, scieran, scyran; akin to D. & G. scheren, Icel. skera, Dan. ski, Gr. Jeer, Score, Shard, Share, Sheer to turn aside.]

1. To cut, clip, or sever anything from with shears or a like instrument; as, to shear sheep; to shear cloth.

Note: It is especially applied to the cutting of wool from sheep or their skins, and the nap from cloth.

2. To separate or sever with shears or a similar instrument; to cut off; to clip (something) from a surface; as, to shear a fleece. Before the golden tresses . . . were shorn away. Shak.

3. To reap, as grain. [Scot.] Jamieson.

4. Fig.: To deprive of property; to fleece.

5. (Mech.)

Defn: To produce a change of shape in by a shear. See Shear, n., 4.

SHEAR Shear, n. Etym: [AS. sceara. See Shear, v. t.]

1. A pair of shears; -- now always used in the plural, but formerly also in the singular. See Shears. On his head came razor none, nor shear. Chaucer. Short of the wool, and naked from the shear. Dryden.

2. A shearing; -- used in designating the age of sheep. After the second shearing, he is a two-sher ram; . . . at the expiration of another year, he is a three-shear ram; the name always taking its date from the time of shearing. Youatt.

3. (Engin.)

Defn: An action, resulting from applied forces, which tends to cause two contiguous parts of a body to slide relatively to each other in a direction parallel to their plane of contact; -- also called shearing stress, and tangential stress.

4. (Mech.)

Defn: A strain, or change of shape, of an elastic body, consisting of an extension in one direction, an equal compression in a perpendicular direction, with an unchanged magnitude in the third direction. Shear blade, one of the blades of shears or a shearing machine. -- Shear hulk. See under Hulk. -- Shear steel, a steel suitable for shears, scythes, and other cutting instruments, prepared from fagots of blistered steel by repeated heating, rolling, and tilting, to increase its malleability and fineness of texture.

SHEAR Shear, v. i.

1. To deviate. See Sheer.

2. (Engin.)

Defn: To become more or less completely divided, as a body under the action of forces, by the sliding of two contiguous parts relatively to each other in a direction parallel to their plane of contact.

SHEARBILL Shear"bill`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The black skimmer. See Skimmer.

SHEARD Sheard, n.

Defn: See Shard. [Obs.]

SHEARER Shear"er, n.

1. One who shears. Like a lamb dumb before his shearer. Acts viii. 32.

2. A reaper. [Scot.] Jamieson.

SHEARING Shear"ing, n.

1. The act or operation of clipping with shears or a shearing machine, as the wool from sheep, or the nap from cloth.

2. The product of the act or operation of clipping with shears or a shearing machine; as, the whole shearing of a flock; the shearings from cloth.

3. Same as Shearling. Youatt.

4. The act or operation of reaping. [Scot.]

5. The act or operation of dividing with shears; as, the shearing of metal plates.

6. The process of preparing shear steel; tilting.

7. (Mining)

Defn: The process of making a vertical side cutting in working into a face of coal. Shearing machine. (a) A machine with blades, or rotary disks, for dividing plates or bars of metal. (b) A machine for shearing cloth.

SHEARLING Shear"ling, n.

Defn: A sheep but once sheared.

SHEARMAN Shear"man, n.; pl. Shearmen (.

Defn: One whose occupation is to shear cloth.

SHEARN Shearn, n. Etym: [AS. scearn. Cf. Scarn.]

Defn: Dung; excrement. [Obs.] [Written also shern.] Holland.

SHEARS Shears, n. pl. Etym: [Formerly used also in the singular. See Shear, n.,1.]

1. A cutting instrument. Specifically: (a) An instrument consisting of two blades, commonly with bevel edges, connected by a pivot, and working on both sides of the material to be cut, -- used for cutting cloth and other substances. Fate urged the shears, and cut the sylph in twain. Pope.

(b) A similar instrument the blades of which are extensions of a curved spring, -- used for shearing sheep or skins. (c) A shearing machine; a blade, or a set of blades, working against a resisting edge.

2. Anything in the form of shears. Specifically: (a) A pair of wings. [Obs.] Spenser. (b) An apparatus for raising heavy weights, and especially for stepping and unstepping the lower masts of ships. It consists of two or more spars or pieces of timber, fastened together near the top, steadied by a guy or guys, and furnished with the necessary tackle. [Written also sheers.]

3. (Mach.)

Defn: The bedpiece of a machine tool, upon which a table or slide rest is secured; as, the shears of a lathe or planer. See Illust. under Lathe. Rotary shears. See under Rotary.

SHEAR STEEL Shear steel.

Defn: See under Shear.

SHEARTAIL Shear"tail`, n. (Zoöl.) (a) The common tern. (b) Any one of several species of humming birds of the genus Thaumastura having a long forked tail.

SHEARWATER Shear"wa`ter, n. Etym: [Shear + water; cf. G. wassersherer; -- so called from its running lightly along the surface of the water.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of numerous species of long-winged oceanic birds of the genus Puffinus and related genera. They are allied to the petrels, but are larger. The Manx shearwater (P. Anglorum), the dusky shearwater (P. obscurus), and the greater shearwater (P. major), are well-known species of the North Atlantic. See Hagdon.

SHEATFISH Sheat"fish`, n. Etym: [Cf. dial. G. scheid, schaid, schaiden.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A European siluroid fish (Silurus glanis) allied to the cat- fishes. It is the largest fresh-water fish of Europe, sometimes becoming six feet or more in length. See Siluroid.

SHEATH Sheath, n. Etym: [OE. schethe, AS. scæedh, sceáedh, sceedh; akin to OS. skeedhia, D. scheede, G. scheide, OHG. sceida, Sw. skida, Dan. skede, Icel. skeiedhir, pl., and to E. shed, v.t., originally meaning, to separate, to part. See Shed.]

1. A case for the reception of a sword, hunting knife, or other long and slender instrument; a scabbard. The dead knight's sword out of his sheath he drew. Spenser.

2. Any sheathlike covering, organ, or part. Specifically: (a) (Bot.) The base of a leaf when sheathing or investing a stem or branch, as in grasses. (b) (Zoöl.) One of the elytra of an insect. Medullary sheath. (Anat.) See under Medullary. -- Primitive sheath. (Anat.) See Neurilemma. -- Sheath knife, a knife with a fixed blade, carried in a sheath. -- Sheath of Schwann. (Anat.) See Schwann's sheath.

SHEATHBILL Sheath"bill`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Either one of two species of birds composing the genus Chionis, and family Chionidæ, native of the islands of the Antarctic.seas.

Note: They are related to the gulls and the plovers, but more nearly to the latter. The base of the bill is covered with a saddle-shaped horny sheath, and the toes are only slightly webbed. The plumage of both species is white.

SHEATHE Sheathe, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sheathed; p. pr. & vb. n. Sheating.] Etym: [Written also sheath.]

1. To put into a sheath, case, or scabbard; to inclose or cover with, or as with, a sheath or case. The leopard . . . keeps the claws of his fore feet turned up from the ground, and sheathed in the skin of his toes. Grew. 'T is in my breast she sheathes her dagger now. Dryden.

2. To fit or furnish, as with a sheath. Shak.

3. To case or cover with something which protects, as thin boards, sheets of metal, and the like; as, to sheathe a ship with copper.

4. To obtund or blunt, as acrimonious substances, or sharp particles. [R.] Arbuthnot. To sheathe the sword, to make peace.

SHEATHED Sheathed, a.

1. Povided with, or inclosed in, sheath.

2. (Bot.)

Defn: Invested by a sheath, or cylindrical membranaceous tube, which is the base of the leaf, as the stalk or culm in grasses; vaginate.

SHEATHER Sheath"er, n.

Defn: One who sheathes.

SHEATHFISH Sheath"fish`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Sheatfish.

SHEATHING Sheath"ing, p. pr. & a.

Defn: from Sheathe. Inclosing with a sheath; as, the sheathing leaves of grasses; the sheathing stipules of many polygonaceous plants.

SHEATHING Sheath"ing, n.

Defn: That which sheathes. Specifically: (a) The casing or covering of a ship's bottom and sides; the materials for such covering; as, copper sheathing. (b) (Arch.) The first covering of boards on the outside wall of a frame house or on a timber roof; also, the material used for covering; ceiling boards in general.

SHEATHLESS Sheath"less, a.

Defn: Without a sheath or case for covering; unsheathed.

SHEATH-WINGED Sheath"-winged`, a. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Having elytra, or wing cases, as a beetle.

SHEATHY Sheath"y, a.

Defn: Forming or resembling a sheath or case. Sir T. Browne.

SHEA TREE She"a tree`. (Bot.)

Defn: An African sapotaceous tree (Bassia, or Butyrospermum, Parkii), from the seeds of which a substance resembling butter is obtained; the African butter tree.

SHEAVE Sheave, n. Etym: [Akin to OD. schijve orb, disk, wheel, D. schiff, G. scheibe, Icel. skifa a shaving, slice; cf. Gr. Shift, v., Shive.]

Defn: A wheel having a groove in the rim for a rope to work in, and set in a block, mast, or the like; the wheel of a pulley. Sheave hole, a channel cut in a mast, yard, rail, or other timber, in which to fix a sheave.

SHEAVE Sheave, v. t. Etym: [See Sheaf of straw.]

Defn: To gather and bind into a sheaf or sheaves; hence, to collect. Ashmole.

SHEAVED Sheaved, a.

Defn: Made of straw. [Obs.] Shak.

SHEBANDER Sheb"an*der, n. Etym: [Per. shahbandar.]

Defn: A harbor master, or ruler of a port, in the East Indies. [Written also shebunder.]

SHEBANG She*bang", n. Etym: [Cf. Shebeen.]

Defn: A jocosely depreciative name for a dwelling or shop. [Slang,U.S.]

SHEBEEN She*been", n. Etym: [Of Irish origin; cf. Ir. seapa a shop.]

Defn: A low public house; especially, a place where spirits and other excisable liquors are illegally and privately sold. [Ireland]

SHECHINAH She*chi"nah, n.

Defn: See Shekinah.

SHECKLATON Sheck"la*ton, n. Etym: [Cf. Ciclatoun.]

Defn: A kind of gilt leather. See Checklaton. [Obs.] Spenser.

SHED Shed, n. Etym: [The same word as shade. See Shade.]

Defn: A slight or temporary structure built to shade or shelter something; a structure usually open in front; an outbuilding; a hut; as, a wagon shed; a wood shed. The first Aletes born in lowly shed. Fairfax. Sheds of reeds which summer's heat repel. Sandys.

SHED Shed, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Shed; p. pr. & vb. n. Shedding.] Etym: [OE. scheden, sch, to pour, to part, AS. scadan, sceádan, to pert, to separate; akin to OS. sk, OFries. skscheiden, OHG. sceidan, Goth. skaidan, and probably to Lith. skëdu I part, separate, L. scindere to cleave, to split, Gr. chid, and perch. also to L. caedere to cut. sq. root159. Cf. Chisel, Concise, Schism, Sheading, Sheath, Shide.]

1. To separate; to divide. [Obs. or Prov.Eng.] Robert of Brunne.

2. To part with; to throw off or give forth from one's self; to emit; to diffuse; to cause to emanate or flow; to pour forth or out; to spill; as, the sun sheds light; she shed tears; the clouds shed rain. Did Romeo's hand shed Tybalt's blood Shak. Twice seven consenting years have shed Their utmost bounty on thy head. Wordsworth.

3. To let fall; to throw off, as a natural covering of hair, feathers, shell; to cast; as, fowls shed their feathers; serpents shed their skins; trees shed leaves.

4. To cause to flow off without penetrating; as, a tight roof, or covering of oiled cloth, sheeds water.

5. To sprinkle; to intersperse; to cover. [R.] "Her hair . . . is shed with gray." B. Jonson.

6. (Weaving)

Defn: To divide, as the warp threads, so as to form a shed, or passageway, for the shuttle.

SHED Shed, v. i.

1. To fall in drops; to pour. [Obs.] Such a rain down from the welkin shadde. Chaucer.

2. To let fall the parts, as seeds or fruit; to throw off a covering or envelope. White oats are apt to shed most as they lie, and black as they stand. Mortimer.

SHED Shed, n.

1. A parting; a separation; a division. [Obs. or Prov.Eng.] They say also that the manner of making the shed of newwedded wives' hair with the iron head of a javelin came up then likewise. Sir T. North.

2. The act of shedding or spilling; -- used only in composition, as in bloodshed.

3. That which parts, divides, or sheds; -- used in composition, as in watershed.

4. (Weaving)

Defn: The passageway between the threads of the warp through which the shuttle is thrown, having a sloping top and bottom made by raising and lowering the alternate threads.

SHEDDER Shed"der, n.

1. One who, or that which, sheds; as, a shedder of blood; a shedder of tears.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A crab in the act of casting its shell, or immediately afterwards while still soft; -- applied especially to the edible crabs, which are most prized while in this state.

SHEDDING Shed"ding, n.

1. The act of shedding, separating, or casting off or out; as, the shedding of blood.

2. That which is shed, or cast off. [R.] Wordsworth.

SHEELFA; SHILFA Sheel"fa, Shil"fa, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The chaffinch; -- so named from its call note. [Prov. Eng.]

SHEELING Sheel"ing, n. Etym: [Icel. skj a shelter, a cover; akin to Dan. & Sw. skjul.]

Defn: A hut or small cottage in an expessed or a retired place (as on a mountain or at the seaside) such as is used by shepherds, fishermen, sportsmen, etc.; a summer cottage; also, a shed. [Written also sheel, shealing, sheiling, etc.] [Scot.]

SHEELY Sheel"y, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Same as Sheelfa.

SHEEN Sheen, a. Etym: [OE. sehene, AS. sciéne, sc, sc, splendid, beautiful; akin to OFries. sk, sk, OS. sc, D. schoon, G. schön, OHG. sc, Goth, skanus, and E. shew; the original meaning being probably, visible, worth seeing. It is not akin to E. shine. See Shew, v. t.]

Defn: Bright; glittering; radiant; fair; showy; sheeny. [R., except in poetry.] This holy maiden, that is so bright and sheen. Chaucer. Up rose each warrier bold and brave, Glistening in filed steel and armor sheen. Fairfax.

SHEEN Sheen, v. i.

Defn: To shine; to glisten. [Poetic] This town, That, sheening far, celestial seems to be. Byron.

SHEEN Sheen, n.

Defn: Brightness; splendor; glitter. "Throned in celestial sheen." Milton.

SHEENLY Sheen""ly, adv.

Defn: Brightly. [R.] Mrs. Browning.

SHEENY Sheen"y, a.

Defn: Bright; shining; radiant; sheen. "A sheeny summer morn." Tennyson.

SHEEP Sheep, n. sing. & pl. Etym: [OE. shep, scheep, AS. sc, sceáp; akin to OFries. sk, LG. & D. schaap, G. schaf, OHG. scaf, Skr. chaga. sq. root295. Cf. Sheepherd.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Defn: Any one of several species of ruminants of the genus Ovis, native of the higher mountains of both hemispheres, but most numerous in Asia.

Note: The domestic sheep (Ovis aries) varies much in size, in the length and texture of its wool, the form and size of its horns, the length of its tail, etc. It was domesticated in prehistoric ages, and many distinct breeds have been produced; as the merinos, celebrated for their fine wool; the Cretan sheep, noted for their long horns; the fat-tailed, or Turkish, sheep, remarkable for the size and fatness of the tail, which often has to be supported on trucks; the Southdowns, in which the horns are lacking; and an Asiatic breed which always has four horns.

2. A weak, bashful, silly fellow. Ainsworth.

3. pl.

Defn: Fig.: The people of God, as being under the government and protection of Christ, the great Shepherd. Rocky mountain sheep.(Zoöl.) See Bighorn. -- Maned sheep. (Zoöl.) See Aoudad. -- Sheep bot (Zoöl.), the larva of the sheep botfly. See Estrus. -- Sheep dog (Zoöl.), a shepherd dog, or collie. -- Sheep laurel (Bot.), a small North American shrub (Kalmia angustifolia) with deep rose-colored flowers in corymbs. -- Sheep pest (Bot.), an Australian plant (Acæna ovina) related to the burnet. The fruit is covered with barbed spines, by which it adheres to the wool of sheep. -- Sheep run, an extensive tract of country where sheep range and graze. -- Sheep's beard (Bot.), a cichoraceous herb (Urospermum Dalechampii) of Southern Europe; -- so called from the conspicuous pappus of the achenes. -- Sheep's bit (Bot.), a European herb (Jasione montana) having much the appearance of scabious. -- Sheep pox (Med.), a contagious disease of sheep, characterixed by the development of vesicles or pocks upon the skin. -- Sheep scabious. (Bot.) Same as Sheep's bit. -- Sheep shears, shears in which the blades form the two ends of a steel bow, by the elasticity of which they open as often as pressed together by the hand in cutting; -- so called because used to cut off the wool of sheep. -- Sheep sorrel. (Bot.), a prerennial herb (Rumex Acetosella) growing naturally on poor, dry, gravelly soil. Its leaves have a pleasant acid taste like sorrel. -- Sheep's-wool (Zoöl.), the highest grade of Florida commercial sponges (Spongia equina, variety gossypina). -- Sheep tick (Zoöl.), a wingless parasitic insect (Melophagus ovinus) belonging to the Diptera. It fixes its proboscis in the skin of the sheep and sucks the blood, leaving a swelling. Called also sheep pest, and sheep louse. -- Sheep walk, a pasture for sheep; a sheep run. -- Wild sheep. (Zoöl.) See Argali, Mouflon, and Oörial.

SHEEPBACK Sheep"back`, n. (Geol.)

Defn: A rounded knoll of rock resembling the back of a sheep. -- produced by glacial action. Called also roche moutonnée; -- usually in the plural.

SHEEPBERRY Sheep"ber`ry, n. (Bot.)

Defn: The edible fruit of a small North American tree of the genus Viburnum (V. Lentago), having white flowers in flat cymes; also, the tree itself. Called also nannyberry.

SHEEPBITE Sheep"bite`, v. i.

Defn: To bite or nibble like a sheep; hence, to practice petty thefts. [Obs.] Shak.

SHEEPBITER Sheep"bit`er, n.

Defn: One who practices petty thefts. [Obs.] Shak. There are political sheepbiters as well as pastoral; betrayers of public trusts as well as of private. L'Estrange.

SHEEPCOT; SHEEPCOTE Sheep"cot`, Sheep"cote`, n.

Defn: A small inclosure for sheep; a pen; a fold.

SHEEP-FACED Sheep"-faced`, a.

Defn: Over-bashful; sheepish.

SHEEPFOLD Sheep"fold`, n.

Defn: A fold or pen for sheep; a place where sheep are collected or confined.

SHEEP-HEADED Sheep"-head`ed, a.

Defn: Silly; simple-minded; stupid. Taylor (1630)

SHEEPHOOK Sheep"hook`, n.

Defn: A hook fastened to pole, by which shepherds lay hold on the legs or necks of their sheep; a shepherd's crook. Dryden.

SHEEPISH Sheep"ish, a.

1. Of or pertaining to sheep. [Obs.]

2. Like a sheep; bashful; over-modest; meanly or foolishly diffident; timorous to excess. Wanting change of company, he will, when he comes abroad, be a sheepish or conceited creature. Locke. -- Sheep"ish*ly, adv. -- Sheep"ish*ness, n.

SHEEPMASTER Sheep"mas`ter, n.

Defn: A keeper or feeder of sheep; also, an owner of sheep. 2 Kings iii. 4.

SHEEPRACK Sheep"rack`, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The starling.

SHEEP'S-EYE Sheep's"-eye`, n.

Defn: A modest, diffident look; a loving glance; -- commonly in the plural. I saw her just now give him the languishing eye, as they call it; . . . of old called the sheep's-eye. Wycherley.

SHEEP'S-FOOT Sheep's-foot`, n.

Defn: A printer's tool consisting of a metal bar formed into a hammer head at one end and a claw at the other, -- used as a lever and hammer.

SHEEPSHANK Sheep"shank`, n. (Naut.)

Defn: A hitch by which a rope may be temporarily shortened.

SHEEPSHEAD Sheeps"head` (, n. Etym: [So called because of the fancied resemblance of its head and front teeth to those of a sheep.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A large and valuable sparoid food fish (Archosargus, or Diplodus, probatocephalus) found on the Atlantic coast of the United States. It often weighs from ten to twelve pounds.

Note: The name is also locally, in a loose way, applied to various other fishes, as the butterfish, the fresh-water drumfish, the parrot fish, the porgy, and the moonfish.

SHEEP-SHEARER Sheep"-shear`er, n.

Defn: One who shears, or cuts off the wool from, sheep.

SHEEP-SHEARING Sheep"-shear`ing, n.

1. Act of shearing sheep.

2. A feast at the time of sheep-shearing. Shak.

SHEEPSKIN Sheep"skin`, n.

1. The skin of a sheep; or, leather prepared from it.

2. A diploma; -- so called because usually written or printed on parchment prepared from the skin of the sheep. [College Cant]

SHEEPSPLIT Sheep"split`, n.

Defn: A split of a sheepskin; one of the thin sections made by splitting a sheepskin with a cutting knife or machine.

SHEEPY Sheep"y, a.

Defn: Resembling sheep; sheepish. Testament of Love.

SHEER Sheer, a. Etym: [OE. shere, skere, pure, bright, Icel. sk; akin to skirr, AS. scir, OS. skiri, MHG. schir, G. schier, Dan. sk, Sw. skär, Goth. skeirs clear, and E. shine. sq. root157. See Shine, v. i.]

1. Bright; clear; pure; unmixed. "Sheer ale." Shak. Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain. Shak.

2. Very thin or transparent; -- applied to fabrics; as, sheer muslin.

3. Being only what it seems to be; obvious; simple; mere; downright; as, sheer folly; sheer nonsense. "A sheer impossibility." De Quincey. It is not a sheer advantage to have several strings to one's bow. M. Arnold.

4. Stright up and down; vertical; prpendicular. A sheer precipice of a thousand feet. J. D. Hooker. It was at least Nine roods of sheer ascent. Wordsworth.

SHEER Sheer, adv.

Defn: Clean; quite; at once. [Obs.] Milton.

SHEER Sheer, v. t. Etym: [See Shear.]

Defn: To shear. [Obs.] Dryden.

SHEER Sheer, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sheered; p. pr. & vb. n. Sheering.] Etym: [D. sheren to shear, cut, withdraw, warp. See Shear.]

Defn: To decline or deviate from the line of the proper course; to turn aside; to swerve; as, a ship sheers from her course; a horse sheers at a bicycle. To sheer off, to turn or move aside to a distance; to move away. -- To sheer up, to approach obliquely.

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.

2. A turn or change in a course. Give the canoe a sheer and get nearer to the shore. Cooper.

3. pl.

Defn: Shears See Shear. Sheer batten (Shipbuilding), a long strip of wood to guide the carpenters in following the sheer plan. -- Sheer boom, a boom slanting across a stream to direct floating logs to one side. -- Sheer hulk. See Shear hulk, under Hulk. -- Sheer plan, or Sheer draught (Shipbuilding), a projection of the lines of a vessel on a vertical longitudinal plane passing through the middle line of the vessel. -- Sheer pole (Naut.), an iron rod lashed to the shrouds just above the dead-eyes and parallel to the ratlines. -- Sheer strake (Shipbuilding), the strake under the gunwale on the top side. Totten. -- To break sheer (Naut.), to deviate from sheer, and risk fouling the anchor.

SHEERLY Sheer"ly, adv.

Defn: At once; absolutely. [Obs.]

SHEERWATER Sheer"wa`ter, n. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The shearwater.

SHEET Sheet, n. Etym: [OE. shete, schete, AS. sc, sc, fr. sceát a projecting corner, a fold in a garment (akin to D. schoot sheet, bosom, lap, G. schoss bosom, lap, flap of a coat, Icel. skaut, Goth. skauts the hem of a garment); originally, that which shoots out, from the root of AS. sceótan to shoot. sq. root159. See Shoot, v. t.]

Defn: In general, a large, broad piece of anything thin, as paper, cloth, etc.; a broad, thin portion of any substance; an expanded superficies. Specifically: (a) A broad piece of cloth, usually linen or cotton, used for wrapping the body or for a covering; especially, one used as an article of bedding next to the body. He fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners. Acts x. 10, 11. If I do die before thee, prithee, shroud me In one of those same sheets. Shak.

(b) A broad piece of paper, whether folded or unfolded, whether blank or written or printed upon; hence, a letter; a newspaper, etc. (c) A single signature of a book or a pamphlet; in pl., the book itself. To this the following sheets are intended for a full and distinct answer. Waterland.

(d) A broad, thinly expanded portion of metal or other substance; as, a sheet of copper, of glass, or the like; a plate; a leaf. (e) A broad expanse of water, or the like. "The two beautiful sheets of water." Macaulay. (f) A sail. Dryden. (g) (Geol.) An extensive bed of an eruptive rock intruded between, or overlying, other strata.

2. Etym: [AS. sceáta. See the Etymology above.] (Naut.) (a) A rope or chain which regulates the angle of adjustment of a sail in relation in relation to the wind; -- usually attached to the lower corner of a sail, or to a yard or a boom. (b) pl.

Defn: The space in the forward or the after part of a boat where there are no rowers; as, fore sheets; stern sheets.

Note: Sheet is often used adjectively, or in combination, to denote that the substance to the name of which it is prefixed is in the form of sheets, or thin plates or leaves; as, sheet brass, or sheet-brass; sheet glass, or sheet-glass; sheet gold, or sheet-gold; sheet iron, or sheet-iron, etc. A sheet in the wind, half drunk. [Sailors' Slang] -- Both sheets in the wind, very drunk. [Sailors' Slang] -- In sheets, lying flat or expanded; not folded, or folded but not bound; -- said especially of printed sheets. -- Sheet bend (Naut.), a bend or hitch used for temporarily fastening a rope to the bight of another rope or to an eye. -- Sheet lightning, Sheet piling, etc. See under Lightning, Piling, etc.

SHEET Sheet, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sheeted; p. pr. & vb. n. Sheeting.]

1. To furnish with a sheet or sheets; to wrap in, or cover with, a sheet, or as with a sheet. "The sheeted dead." "When snow the pasture sheets." Shak.

2. To expand, as a sheet. The star shot flew from the welkin blue, As it fell from the sheeted sky. J. R. Drake. To sheet home (Naut.), to haul upon a sheet until the sail is as flat, and the clew as near the wind, as possible.

SHEET ANCHOR Sheet" an"chor. Etym: [OE. scheten to shoot, AS. sceótan; cf. OE. shoot anchor. See Shoot, v. t.]

1. (Naut.)

Defn: A large anchor stowed on shores outside the waist of a vessel; -- called also waist anchor. See the Note under Anchor.

2. Anything regarded as a sure support or dependence in danger; the best hope or refuge.

SHEET CABLE Sheet" ca"ble. (Naut.)

Defn: The cable belonging to the sheet anchor.

SHEET CHAIN Sheet" chain". (Naut.)

Defn: A chain sheet cable.

SHEETFUL Sheet"ful, n.; pl. Sheetfuls (.

Defn: Enough to fill a sheet; as much as a sheet can hold.

SHEETING Sheet"ing, n.

1. Cotton or linen cloth suitable for bed sheets. It is sometimes made of double width.

2. (Hydraul. Engin.)

Defn: A lining of planks or boards (rarely of metal) for protecting an embankment.

3. The act or process of forming into sheets, or flat pieces; also, material made into sheets.