Real Dictionary

shear
verb: To shear a sheep means to cut its wool off.

shear in American English
shears
to cut with shears or a similar sharp-edged instrument
to use a cutting tool, as shears, in trimming or cutting wool, shrubbery, metal, etc.
intransitive verb: to cut or cut through something with a sharp instrument
noun: scissors of large size (usually used with pair of)
transitive verb: to cut (something)

shear in British English
noun: the act, process, or an instance of shearing
verb: to remove (the fleece or hair) of (sheep, etc) by cutting or clipping

shear in Mechanical Engineering
noun: Shear is the movement of one surface of a substance over another parallel surface.