a sheer cliff

  • 1sheer — 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

  • 2sheer — sheer1 [ ʃır ] adjective ** 1. ) only before noun used for emphasizing the amount or degree of something: Maya succeeded through sheer hard work. the sheer size/volume etc. of something: We were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work. sheer… …

    Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 3sheer — I UK [ʃɪə(r)] / US [ʃɪr] adjective ** 1) [only before noun] used for emphasizing the amount or degree of something Maya succeeded through sheer hard work. the sheer size/volume etc of something: We were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work.… …

    English dictionary

  • 4sheer — [[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 …

    English dictionary

  • 5sheer — [ʃɪə] adj 1) used for emphasizing the amount or degree of something Maya succeeded through sheer hard work.[/ex] We were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work.[/ex] The journey to work every day was sheer hell.[/ex] 2) extremely steep a sheer… …

    Dictionary for writing and speaking English

  • 6sheer — 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

  • 7sheer — 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

  • 8cliff-face — cliffˈ face noun The sheer or steep front of a cliff • • • Main Entry: ↑cliff …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 9sheer´ness — sheer1 «shihr», adjective, adverb, noun. –adj. 1. very thin; almost transparent: »Sheer white curtains hung at the little windows to let in as much light as possible. 2. unmixed with anything else; complete: »sheer nonsense. She fainted from… …

    Useful english dictionary

  • 10cliff —   Pali, palipa a.    ♦ Tall or distant cliff, pali loa.    ♦ Towering cliff, pali halehale, pali hi i.   ♦ Sheer sea cliff, hula ana.    ♦ Vertical cliff, pali kū.    ♦ Base of cliff, palipa a maoli.    ♦ Small cliff or slope, papali.    ♦ Small… …

    English-Hawaiian dictionary