Spell Bee Word: shear

Basic Details

Word: Shear

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: To cut something, especially hair or wool, using sharp tools.

Synonyms: Cut, trim, crop

Antonyms: Grow, add

Idioms and Phrases

1. Shear off: To remove or cut away something completely. Example: "The mechanic had to shear off the old part to fix the car."
2. Shear madness: A term used to describe something ridiculous or extremely silly. Example: "The idea to build a trampoline on the roof was shear madness."

Usage Examples

Example 1: The farmer decided to shear the sheep in spring to prepare them for warmer weather.

Example 2: After her haircut, she felt lighter and more carefree, happy to have chosen to shear off her long locks.

Example 3: The gardener used sharp shears to shear the overgrown hedges into a neat shape.

Fun Fact

Did you know that the practice of shearing sheep dates back thousands of years? Ancient civilisations were using shears made of metal to get wool from sheep as early as 3000 BC!

Famous Quote

"A good shepherd shears his sheep, but does not flay them." - Portuguese Proverb

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. What does "shear" mean?

a) To grow
b) To cut or trim
c) To paint
d) To fold

Answer: b) To cut or trim

2. Which of these is a synonym of "shear"?

a) Grow
b) Trim
c) Fold
d) Shape

Answer: b) Trim

3. What is the opposite of "shear"?

a) Cut
b) Add
c) Crop
d) Snip

Answer: b) Add

4. Which sentence uses "shear" correctly?

a) I will shear my new book.
b) The barber will shear your hair.
c) She will shear some bread.
d) The cat likes to shear the garden.

Answer: b) The barber will shear your hair.

5. What does "shear off" mean?

a) To grow height
b) To completely remove or cut away
c) To fold something
d) To paint something

Answer: b) To completely remove or cut away