steer

• (UK) enPR: stĭə(r), IPA^(key): /stɪə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /stɪɹ/, /stɪɚ/

• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

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.

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. (reflexive) To conduct oneself; to take or pursue a course of action.
7. (transitive) To direct a conversation.
8. (transitive) To direct or send an object into a specific place
   • 2021 June 29, Phil McNulty, “England 2-0 Germany”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     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.

• differential steering
• steering wheel
• throttle steering
• 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.

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.

steer (plural steers)

2. 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

• stirk, bullock

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

Inherited from Old English stēor (“steer”), from Proto-West Germanic *steur, from Proto-Germanic *steuraz.

• steor, ster, stere

• IPA^(key): /steːr/
• (Early Middle English) IPA^(key): /støːr/

steer (plural steres)

1. steer, young bull

• English: steer
• Middle Scots: ster, stere, steir
  • Scots: steer

• “stẹ̄r(e, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 3 April 2018.

steer

1. alternative form of stere (“rudder, control”)

Inherited from Old English styrian.

steer

1. stir