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steer 1 (stîr)
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v. steered, steer·ing, steers
v.tr.
1.
a. To guide (a vessel or vehicle), especially by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or wheel: steered the car around the curve.
b. To set and follow (a course): steered a path around the rocks.
2.
a. To direct the course of: steered the business toward record profits. See Synonyms at conduct.
b. To advise or direct (a person) toward a place or course of action: steered the intern toward a career in sales. See Synonyms at guide.
v.intr.
1. To guide a vessel or vehicle.
2. To follow or move in a set course.
3. To admit of being steered or guided: a craft that steers easily.
n.
A piece of advice: The salesman gave me a bum steer on that new car.
Idiom:
steer clear of
To stay away from; avoid.
[Middle English steren, from Old English stēran; see stā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
steera·ble adj.
steerer n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 
steer 2 (stîr)
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n.
A young ox, especially one castrated before sexual maturity and raised for beef.
[Middle English, from Old English stēor; see stā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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