sheared

Everyday

1. Sheared means had the wool cut off: the sheep were sheared. tree →
2. Sheared means cut with shears or a sharp tool. tree →
3. Sheared off means broke off because of a strong sideways force. tree →

In the lessons

In farming life (Australia, NZ, UK): sheep are sheared once a year for their wool. In science and building: a bolt sheared off under too much force. Phrases: sheared sheep, sheared off.

Examples

• The farmer sheared fifty sheep in one day. tree →
• The sheared sheep looked thin and cold. tree →
• The bolt sheared off in the storm. tree →
• The hedge was sheared into a neat shape. tree →
• Wool from sheared sheep is spun into yarn. tree →
• The branch sheared off the tree. tree →
• At shearing time, wishing to take his fleece and to avoid expense, she sheared him herself, but used the shears so unskillfully that with the fleece she sheared the flesh. tree →

Note

Past tense: sheared; past participle sheared or shorn ("shorn sheep"). Homophone trap: sheer (very steep; complete; thin) sounds like shear. In maths: if a shearer does 50 sheep a day, 200 sheep take 4 days.