What does sheared mean?
Sheared is the past tense and past participle of shear, meaning to cut hair, wool, fabric, or another material with scissors or shears. It commonly describes work performed on sheep, but it can also refer to closely trimming human hair, shaving an animal, or cutting the edge of fabric. When used as an adjective, sheared indicates that something has been cut short or closely trimmed. The word can also have a figurative financial meaning, as in “shearing costs,” meaning reducing or eliminating them sharply. In everyday use, sheared generally emphasizes the use of shears or the removal of a substantial amount of material, while shorn often suggests that hair or fleece has been removed completely. Sheared is common in agricultural, textile, grooming, and financial contexts and is standard in both British and American English.
To cut or remove hair, wool, fabric, or another material with scissors or shears, or reduce it sharply.
"The workers sheared the flock and prepared the wool for market."
The figurative financial sense uses the verb in expressions such as shearing costs.
Cut short or closely trimmed with shears.
"The fabric had been sheared into a smooth, even edge."
This participial adjective often appears before a noun, as in closely sheared sheep.
Shear a sheep and the fleece comes off; leave the fleece on and the sheepskin becomes a shearling.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sheared come from?
The form sheared developed from Middle English sheren, the earlier form of shear, by adding the regular English past-tense and past-participle ending -ed. The verb descends from Old English sċeran and is cognate with Old Norse skæra and modern Dutch scheren, all referring to cutting with a blade. Related English forms include the agent noun shearer and shearling, a sheepskin or coat made with the fleece attached.
Related word forms
How sheared is actually used
In its ordinary physical sense, sheared is generally used for sheep, wool, fabric, or hair trimmed with shears. It is often contrasted with shorn, which can imply that hair or fleece has been removed completely. The word is neutral in register, though figurative uses such as shearing profits are common in financial and economic language.
Easily confused with sheared
Sheared describes something that has been cut short with shears, whereas shorn usually means completely stripped of hair, wool, or fleece.