steer

verb, noun — 12 senses

steer

verb

AU, UK /stɪə/ · UK /stɪː/

Etymology Inherited 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.

8 senses
  1. 1To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc.…
  2. 2To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc.…
  3. 3To be directed and governed; to take a direction, or…
  4. 4To direct a group of animals.
  5. 5To maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place…
  6. 6To conduct oneself; to take or pursue a course of action.
  7. 7To direct a conversation.
  8. 8To direct or send an object into a specific place
1

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

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.
1 more example
  • I leap on board: no helmsman steers: I float till all is dark.1842, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Sir Galahad:
3

To be directed and governed; to take a direction, or course; to obey the helm.

  • The boat steers easily.
  • Where the wind / Veers oft, as oft [a ship] so steers, and shifts her sail.1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 9:
4

To direct a group of animals.

5

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

To conduct oneself; to take or pursue a course of action.

7

To direct a conversation.

8

To direct or send an object into a specific place

  • 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.2021 June 29, Phil McNulty, “England 2-0 Germany”, in BBC Sport:
Derived terms
autosteer, besteer, countersteer, course to steer, missteer, outsteer, oversteer, resteer, shuffle steer, skidsteer, starboard, steerability, steerable, steerage, steer clear, steerer, steeringly, steersman, steersmate, steersperson, steerswoman, stivot, understeer, unsteered
Related terms
differential steering, steering wheel, throttle steering, torque steer

steer

noun

Etymology Inherited 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.

1

Informal A suggestion about a course of action.

  • I tried to give you the steer, but I guess I didn't get it over. Everybody knew it but you.1939, Mark Hellinger, The Roaring Twenties:
2

Obsolete A helmsman; a pilot.

Derived terms
bum steer, steerless, steer tube
Related terms
starboard

steer

noun

Etymology Inherited 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.

1

The castrated male of cattle, especially one raised for beef production.

  • 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.1913, Willa Cather, O Pioneers!, chapter 2:
Synonyms
ox
Derived terms
Judas steer, steerling, wild as a Tuckernuck steer
Hypernyms
cattle
Hyponyms
stirk, bullock
Coordinate terms
bull, calf, cow

steer

verb

Etymology Inherited 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.

1

To castrate (a male calf).

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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