Shearing

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. The act or operation of clipping with shears or a shearing machine, as the wool from sheep, or the nap from cloth.

2. The product of the act or operation of clipping with shears or a shearing machine; as, the whole shearing of a flock; the shearings from cloth.

3. Same as Shearling. Youatt.

4. The act or operation of reaping. [Scot.]

5. The act or operation of dividing with shears; as, the shearing of metal plates.

6. The process of preparing shear steel; tilting.

7. The process of making a vertical side cutting in working into a face of coal. Shearing machine. (a) A machine with blades, or rotary disks, for dividing plates or bars of metal. (b) A machine for shearing cloth.