1. the act of cutting wool from sheep
2. the process of cutting or trimming with shears or similar tools
3. a type of mechanical stress that causes parts of a material to slide past each other
Usage: engineering; physics

1. present participle of shear; cutting or trimming with shears

Examples

• The annual sheep shearing takes place in early summer.
• He watched the skilled worker shearing the hedge into perfect shapes.
• The metal beam failed due to excessive shearing forces.
• She is shearing the wool from the flock this morning.
• The shearing of the Christmas trees happens in November.
• Engineers must consider shearing when designing bridges.
• The farmer hired extra help for the spring shearing season.