a. [ OE. shere, skere, pure, bright, Icel. sk&unr_;rr; akin to skīrr, AS. scīr, OS. skīri, MHG. schīr, G. schier, Dan. sk&unr_;r, Sw. skär, Goth. skeirs clear, and E. shine. √157. See Shine, v. i. ] 1. Bright; clear; pure; unmixed. “Sheer ale.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] Thou sheer, immaculate, and silver fountain. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Very thin or transparent; -- applied to fabrics; as, sheer muslin. [ 1913 Webster ] 3. Being only what it seems to be; obvious; simple; mere; downright; as, sheer folly; sheer nonsense. “A sheer impossibility.” De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ] It is not a sheer advantage to have several strings to one's bow. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ] 4. Stright up and down; vertical; prpendicular. [ 1913 Webster ] A sheer precipice of a thousand feet. J. D. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ] It was at least Nine roods of sheer ascent. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ] |