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shear

Craft Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Shear means to cut or crop by applying a sharp movement; in poetry, it can suggest abrupt division, trimming, or the forceful shaping of language.

Detailed Definition
In literal craft, shear refers to cutting something cleanly, often with a tool or blade. In poetry, it may imply a sudden break in rhythm, image, or thought, or the deliberate removal of excess. It fits craft language because it expresses controlled cutting and shaping.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poet may describe sheep being sheared as metaphor for loss of protection or identity; Shearing wind or cold appears in poems to evoke harsh, cutting natural forces; A poem about grief might describe emotions sheared away, leaving raw vulnerability; Shearing cliffs in coastal poems evoke the violent power of erosion over time; A poet describing haircuts might use shearing to mark transitions or rites of passage; Sheared metal edges can symbolize abrupt, forceful separation in industrial imagery.
Additional Notes
Shear suggests abrupt, forceful cutting or division, often used to describe sudden loss, harsh natural forces, or emotional rupture; the term differs from cut in its connotation of a sweeping, often violent motion, making it useful for discussing poems about erosion, storms, or sudden separation, and instructors might pair shear with cleave to discuss craft terms describing forceful division as distinct from more gradual or gentle forms of separation.
Also Known As
cut clip trim sever
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