Part 317

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

Sheer"ly (?), adv. At once; absolutely. [Obs.]

Sheer"wa`ter (?), n. (Zoöl.) The shearwater.

Sheet (?), n. [OE. shete, schete, AS. scte, scte, 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. √159. See Shoot, v. t.] 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. [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. The space in the forward or the after part of a boat where there are no rowers; as, fore sheets; stern sheets.

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, 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.

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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.