Wiktionary

steer

See also: Steer

English edit

 
English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) enPR: stĭə(r), IPA(key): /stɪə(ɹ)/
  • (US) IPA(key): /stɪɹ/, /stɪɚ/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English steeren, steren, stiren, sturen, steoren, from Old English stēoran, stīeran, stȳran (“to steer; guide a vessel”), from Proto-West Germanic *stiurijan (“to steer”), from Proto-Germanic *stiurijaną (“to steer”).

The noun is from Middle English steere, stere (“rudder”), steor, from Old English stēor, stȳr (“steering; guidance; direction”). Compare Dutch stuur, German Steuer, Icelandic stýri.

Verb edit

steer (third-person singular simple present steers, present participle steering, simple past and past participle steered)

  1. (intransitive) To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).
    The boat steered towards the iceberg.
    I steered homeward.
  2. (transitive) To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).
    I find it very difficult to steer a skateboard.
    When planning the boat trip, we had completely forgotten that we needed somebody to steer.
    • 1842, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Sir Galahad:
      I leap on board: no helmsman steers: I float till all is dark.
  3. (intransitive) To be directed and governed; to take a direction, or course; to obey the helm.
    The boat steers easily.
    • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 9:
      Where the wind / Veers oft, as oft [a ship] so steers, and shifts her sail.
  4. (transitive) To direct a group of animals.
  5. (transitive) To maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action.
    Hume believes that principles of association steer the imagination of artists.
  6. (reflexive) To conduct oneself; to take or pursue a course of action.
  7. (transitive) To direct a conversation.
  8. (transitive) To direct or send an object into a specific place
    • 2021 June 29, Phil McNulty, “England 2-0 Germany”, in BBC Sport‎[1]:
      Sterling, who scored the winners against Croatia and the Czech Republic in the group stage, steered in Luke Shaw's cross after 75 minutes to send England's fans, with more than 40,000 inside Wembley, into wild celebrations.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
See also edit

Noun edit

steer (plural steers)

  1. (informal) A suggestion about a course of action.
    • 1939, Mark Hellinger, The Roaring Twenties:
      I tried to give you the steer, but I guess I didn't get it over. Everybody knew it but you.
  2. (obsolete) A helmsman; a pilot.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)
Derived terms edit
Translations edit

Etymology 2 edit

From Middle English steer, ster, from Old English stēor (“a young bull or cow; steer”), from Proto-Germanic *steuraz (“bull; steer”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)táwros (“wild bull; aurochs”). Cognate with Dutch stier, German Stier, Icelandic stjór, Latin taurus (“bull”), Greek ταύρος (távros). Doublet of tur and Taurus.

Noun edit

steer (plural steers)

  2. The castrated male of cattle, especially one raised for beef production.
    • 1913, Willa Cather, O Pioneers!, chapter 2:
      He counted the cattle over and over. It diverted him to speculate as to how much weight each of the steers would probably put on by spring.
Synonyms edit
Hypernyms edit
Hyponyms edit
Coordinate terms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit

Verb edit

steer (third-person singular simple present steers, present participle steering, simple past and past participle steered)

  1. (transitive) To castrate (a male calf).
Translations edit

Anagrams edit

Middle English edit

Etymology 1 edit

From Old English stēor (“steer”), from Proto-West Germanic *steur, from Proto-Germanic *steuraz.

Alternative forms edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

steer (plural steres)

  1. steer, young bull
Descendants edit
  • English: steer
  • Middle Scots: ster, stere, steir
References edit

Etymology 2 edit

Noun edit

steer

  1. Alternative form of stere (“rudder, control”)

Scots edit

Etymology edit

From Old English styrian.

Noun edit

steer

  1. stir
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=steer&oldid=77836865"