Meaning & Definition of Shear in English

1. (physics) a deformation of an object in which parallel planes remain parallel but are shifted in a direction parallel to themselves

• "The shear changed the quadrilateral into a parallelogram"

2. A large edge tool that cuts sheet metal by passing a blade through it

1. Cut with shears

• "Shear hedges"

2. Shear the wool from

• "Shear sheep"

3. Cut or cut through with shears

• "Shear the wool off the lamb"

4. Become deformed by forces tending to produce a shearing strain