Shear″ing, 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.
5. The act or operation of dividing with shears; as, the shearing of metal plates.
6. The process of preparing shear steel; tilting.
7. (Mining) 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.