Shear \Shear\, n. [AS. sceara. See Shear, v. t.]
1. A pair of shears; -- now always used in the plural, but
formerly also in the singular. See Shears.
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On his head came razor none, nor shear. --Chaucer.
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Short of the wool, and naked from the shear.
--Dryden.
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2. A shearing; -- used in designating the age of sheep.
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After the second shearing, he is a two-shear ram; .
. . at the expiration of another year, he is a
three-shear ram; the name always taking its date
from the time of shearing. --Youatt.
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3. (Engin.) An action, resulting from applied forces, which
tends to cause two contiguous parts of a body to slide
relatively to each other in a direction parallel to their
plane of contact; -- also called shearing stress, and
tangential stress.
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4. (Mech.) A strain, or change of shape, of an elastic body,
consisting of an extension in one direction, an equal
compression in a perpendicular direction, with an
unchanged magnitude in the third direction.
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Shear blade, one of the blades of shears or a shearing
machine.
Shear hulk. See under Hulk.
Shear steel, a steel suitable for shears, scythes, and
other cutting instruments, prepared from fagots of
blistered steel by repeated heating, rolling, and tilting,
to increase its malleability and fineness of texture.
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