veer¹ Definition
veer (vir)
intransitive verb
- to change direction; shift; turn or swing around
- to change sides; shift, as from one opinion or attitude to another
- Meteorol. to shift clockwise (in the Northern Hemisphere): said of the changing direction of a wind
- Naut.
- to change the direction or course of a ship by swinging its stern to the wind; wear a ship
- to be so turned: said of a ship
Etymology: altered (by assoc. with veer) < Fr virer, to turn around, prob. < VL *virare, contr. < L vibrare: see vibrate
transitive verb
- to turn or swing; change the course of
- Naut. to change the direction or course of (a ship) by swinging its stern to the wind; wear
noun
a change of direction
veer¹ Related Forms
veer² Definition
veer (vir)
transitive verb, intransitive verb
Naut. to let out (a line, chain, anchor, etc.): often with out
Etymology: ME veren < MDu vieren, to let out
veer Synonyms
veer
v.
veer Usage Examples
Object
- wind: Friday produced a veering easterly wind in Hayling Bay in excess of 12 knots allowing a triangular course with unrestricted pumping.
- round: Then, after tea, the wind veers round, and you have to pull hard in its teeth all the way home.
Preposition: on
side: The natural skeptic in me veered on the side of caution.
Preposition: towards
side: Yes folks, those of you whose tastes veer toward the dark side are well catered for, especially in the top-floor leather bars.
Preposition: into
territory: While some missions occasionally veer into more linear territory, you're always free to approach the levels exactly the way you wish.
Adjective complement
close: At their worst, they can veer dangerously close to the wrong side of self-indulgence.
Modifying Another Word
- wildly: We have only subtext, a fragile thread of thought that veers wildly from line to line.
- dangerously: Download Mi les Away Blatant pop music: a cheery song that veers dangerously close to heavy metal territory.
- sharply: Canada also veered sharply to the right during the eighties.
- away: By nature, we're like shopping trolleys - inclined to veer away from the straight line of God's revealed will.
- occasionally: At their best with these blissed-out dance numbers, NSE do occasionally veer off course.
- suddenly: Why she should have suddenly veered from her course will probably never be known.
Followed by an intransitive particle
Followed by a transitive particle
off: I often veer off the Holloway Road, take the pretty route.
Particle object:
- runway: For example, a passenger aircraft arriving at Heathrow airport veered off the runway onto the grass.
- road: One recent accident occured when a car veered off the road and crashed into a lorry parked in a layby.
- track: The 36-year-old had been driving a jet-powered Vampire dragster when it veered off the track at Elvington airfield, near York, in September.
Preposition: in
direction: It never veers too far in any direction or falls back on cliche.
Preposition: from
path: Veering from the standard recruitment path doesn't necessarily mean losing out.
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