steer
Noun pluralsteers
Formssteers, steering, steered
Pluralsteers
- 1To guide the course of a vehicle, boat, or aircraft using a wheel, rudder, or similar control; (of a vehicle or vessel) to respond to such control in a particular way.
Pilots learn to steer smoothly during gusty crosswind landings.
The captain steered between the rocks with great care.
UsageOften with a direction: steer toward the shore, steer between the rocks. Steer clear of means keep away from.
- 2To guide or direct people, an organization, a process, or a conversation toward a particular place, course of action, outcome, or topic.
She steered the committee toward a compromise everyone could accept.
Skilled negotiators steer opponents into agreeing without realizing it.
UsageUsually steer someone toward, into or away from something; steer the conversation is common.
- 3To direct or send a physical object into a particular spot.
He steered the puck past the goalie with a quick flick.
Surgeons steer a thin tube through the artery to the blockage.
Similarguide, direct, maneuver, move
Note
Football reporting uses it for a touch that redirects the ball rather than strikes it. Phil McNulty's BBC Sport report of England's 2021 win over Germany has Sterling, who "steered in Luke Shaw's cross." The word suggests control and placement more than power.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Phil McNulty wrote the BBC Sport report of England's 2021 victory over Germany. en.wiktionary.org
- The report describes Sterling with the exact words “steered in Luke Shaw's cross”. bbc.co.uk
- 4To conduct oneself or pursue a particular course of action.
The company steered cautiously through the financial crisis.
Politicians who want to last must steer a careful course between ambition and loyalty.
UsageOften steer a middle course or steer a careful course between two things.
- 5A castrated male of domestic cattle, especially one raised for beef.
Each steer was tagged before being moved to the feedlot.
The ranch raises hundreds of steers for beef every year.
Note
Old English stēor could mean a young bull or cow, but modern use has narrowed it to the castrated male raised for weight. Willa Cather's O Pioneers! (1913) has a farmer reckoning what his steers will put on by spring.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Old English stēor could mean a young bull or cow. en.wiktionary.org
- Willa Cather wrote O Pioneers!, first published in 1913. digitalcollections.drew.edu
- The novel depicts a farmer estimating how much weight his steers will gain by spring. gutenberg.org
Less common meanings
- 6
- 7A piece of advice or a tip about a course of action.
A quick steer from the locals saved us hours of searching.
He offered a useful steer about which supplier to trust.
UsageUsually give someone a steer or get a steer, often a steer on something.
Similartip, pointer, hint, lead
Note
A noun that keeps the verb's sense of direction: a steer points someone the right way. It usually comes with give or get, as in the film The Roaring Twenties (1939): "I tried to give you the steer."
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- The Roaring Twenties was released in 1939. en.wikipedia.org
- The quoted words occur in the film. en.wikiquote.org
- 8To castrate a male calf so that it can no longer breed.
Note
The verb made from the cattle noun: to steer a calf is to turn it into a steer. It shares every form with the unrelated steering verb (steers, steering, steered), so in "the calves were steered" only context separates castration from guiding a herd.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- The castration verb belongs to the cattle noun’s etymology: steering a male calf means making it a steer. en.wiktionary.org
- The cattle word and the verb meaning to guide have distinct origins. en.wiktionary.org
- Both verbs have the forms steers, steering and steered, making the passive example ambiguous without context. en.wiktionary.org
- 9A person who steers a vessel; a helmsman or pilot.
Note
An old agent noun from the steering verb: the person at the helm was once simply a steer.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- The historical agent noun is derived from the steering verb; the relationship already existed in Old English. atlantisjournal.org
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
The verb comes from Middle English steeren, from Old English stēoran ('to steer; guide a vessel'), going back through Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic *stiurijaną. The noun derives from Middle English steere ('rudder'), from Old English stēor ('steering; guidance'). It is related to Dutch stuur, German Steuer, and Icelandic stýri.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts
- The verb derives from Middle English steeren and Old English stēoran, meaning to steer or guide a vessel. en.wiktionary.org
- The verb's ancestry extends through Proto-West Germanic to Proto-Germanic *stiurijaną. en.wiktionary.org
- The noun derives through Middle English steere, meaning rudder, from Old English stēor. en.wiktionary.org
- Old English stēor meant steering or guidance. en.wiktionary.org
- The word is related to Dutch stuur, German Steuer, and Icelandic stýri. en.wiktionary.org
From Middle English steer, from Old English stēor ('a young bull or cow'), from Proto-Germanic *steuraz ('bull'). It is cognate with Dutch stier and German Stier. Its earlier origin is uncertain. A connection with Latin taurus and Ancient Greek ταῦρος, both meaning 'bull', has been proposed, but the relationship is disputed.