cut the wool off (a sheep or other animal)

Paul has never sheared a sheep before

demonstrations of sheep shearing

break off or cause to break off, owing to a structural strain

the gear sheared and jammed in the rear wheel

three bolts had been completely sheared off

a strain produced by pressure in the structure of a substance, when its layers are laterally shifted in relation to each other

the water from the upper source is emitted at the same speed as the main flow; there is thus no shear

aluminium is not very resilient to shear forces