steer

• IPA^(key): /stɪə(ɹ)/

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• Rhymes: -ɪə(r)

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

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

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. (transitive) To direct a conversation.
7. To conduct oneself; to take or pursue a course of action.

• steering wheel
• torque steer

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?)

• steerless

From Middle English stere, steer, ster, steor, 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).

steer (plural steers)

1. 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.

• ox

• cattle

• bull, calf, cow

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

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

• Ester, Reset, ester, estre, re-est., reest, reset, retes, seter, stere, teers, teres, terse, trees

steer

1. stir

• Ester, Reset, ester, estre, re-est., reest, reset, retes, seter, stere, terse, trees