sheer
adj
1 [attrib 作定語]
complete; thorough; utter 完全的; 徹底的; 十足的: sheer nonsense 一派胡言
a sheer waste of time 純粹浪費時間
by sheer chance 完全出於偶然地.
2 [usu attrib 通常作定語]
(of textiles, etc) thin, light and almost transparent (指織物等)薄的、 輕的、 幾乎透明的
sheer nylon 薄而透明的尼龍.
3 almost vertical; very steep 近乎垂直的; 陡峭的
a sheer rock, cliff, etc 陡峭的 巖、 懸崖等
a sheer drop of 50 feet 50 英尺垂直降落. sheer, adv straight up or down 垂直地; 陡峭地
a cliff that rises sheer from the beach 矗立於海灘上的懸崖
The ground dropped away sheer at our feet. 我們眼前的地面垂直地陷落下去.
sheer v (phr v) sheer away (from sth)/sheer off (sth) turn suddenly away from a course, topic, etc that one wishes to avoid 突然改變路線、 轉換話題等; 避開
When he saw me coming he sheered off in the opposite direction. 他一看到我過來, 掉頭就走了.
She tends to sheer away from any discussion of her divorce. 一談到她離婚的事她就盡量轉換話題.