Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A young ox, especially one castrated before sexual maturity and raised for beef.
  • intransitive verb To guide (a vessel or vehicle), especially by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or wheel.
  • intransitive verb To set and follow (a course).
  • intransitive verb To direct the course of: synonym: conduct.
  • intransitive verb To advise or direct (a person) toward a place or course of action: synonym: guide.
  • intransitive verb To guide a vessel or vehicle.
  • intransitive verb To follow or move in a set course.
  • intransitive verb To admit of being steered or guided.
  • noun A piece of advice.
  • idiom (steer clear of) To stay away from; avoid.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A young male of the ox kind; a bullock, especially one which has been castrated and is raised for beef. In the United States the term is extended to male beef-cattle of any age.
  • To guide by the movements of a rudder or helm; direct and govern, as a ship on her course.
  • To pursue in a specified direction; direct: as, to steer one's way or course.
  • To guide; manage; control; govern.
  • To plan; contrive.
  • To lead; conduct; draw: as, a bunko-man steers his victim to a bunko-joint. See bunko-steerer.
  • To direct and govern a vessel in its course.
  • To direct one's course at sea; sail in a specified direction: as, the ship steers southward; he steered for Liverpool.
  • To answer the helm: as, the vessel steers with ease.
  • Figuratively, to take or pursue a course or way; hence, to direct one's conduct; conduct one's self.
  • To make a steer of; castrate (a young bull or bull-calf).
  • noun An obsolete or dialectal variant of stir.
  • noun A rudder; a helm.
  • noun A helmsman; a pilot.
  • noun A guide; a director; a governor; a ruler.
  • noun Guidance; direction; government; control.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To direct the course of; to guide; to govern; -- applied especially to a vessel in the water.
  • transitive verb To castrate; -- said of male calves.
  • noun obsolete A rudder or helm.
  • noun obsolete A helmsman; a pilot.
  • noun A young male of the ox kind; especially, a common ox; a castrated taurine male from two to four years old. See the Note under ox.
  • intransitive verb To direct a vessel in its course; to direct one's course.
  • intransitive verb To be directed and governed; to take a direction, or course; to obey the helm.
  • intransitive verb To conduct one's self; to take or pursue a course of action.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The castrated male of cattle, especially one raised for beef production.
  • noun informal A suggestion about a course of action.
  • verb intransitive To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).
  • verb transitive To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).
  • verb transitive To direct a group of animals.
  • verb transitive To maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action.
  • verb transitive To direct a conversation.
  • noun obsolete A helmsman; a pilot.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb direct (oneself) somewhere
  • verb be a guiding or motivating force or drive
  • verb direct the course; determine the direction of travelling
  • noun an indication of potential opportunity
  • noun castrated bull

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old English stēor; see stā- in Indo-European roots.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English steren, from Old English stēran; see stā- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old English stēor.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old English stieran

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