Shearbill
(Shear"bill`), n. (Zoöl.) The black skimmer. See Skimmer.
Sheard
(Sheard) n. 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) 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. A sheep but once sheared.
Shearman
(Shear"man) n.; pl. Shearmen One whose occupation is to shear cloth.
Shearn
(Shearn) n. [AS. scearn. Cf. Scarn.] Dung; excrement. [Obs.] [Written also shern.] Holland.
Shears
(Shears) n. pl. [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.) 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.