shearing

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. [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. (Mining) Defn: 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.

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