steer
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to control the direction of a car, boat, or bicycle using a wheel or handle.
v.to control the course of a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft by means of a steering mechanism.
Simple“It is difficult to steer the boat when the wind is blowing this hard.”
In context“The novice driver struggled to steer the car through the narrow, winding alleyways of the old town without clipping the mirrors.”
UsageThe verb can be used transitively with the vehicle as the object or intransitively.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to influence someone or a conversation to go in a certain direction.
v.to maneuver or manipulate a person, group, or discussion toward a specific course of action or subject.
Simple“The teacher tried to steer the students away from the topic of the exam.”
In context“The CEO skillfully managed to steer the board of directors toward a more sustainable long-term investment strategy.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'towards' or 'away from'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a helpful suggestion or piece of information about what you should do.
n.a piece of advice or information concerning a potential course of action.
Simple“Can you give me a steer on which laptop I should buy?”
In context“He gave me a useful steer on the upcoming merger, suggesting that I wait for the official announcement before selling my shares.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'give someone a steer'.
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a young male cow that has been operated on so it cannot father calves, usually raised for meat.
n.a castrated male of the cattle family, typically one raised for beef production.
Simple“The farmer moved the steers into the lower field for the summer.”
In context“The rancher specialized in raising high-quality steers for the premium organic beef market.”
“Hichilema is credited with steering Zambia through a difficult economic climate but his popularity was dented as many people said their circumstances have not improved.”
“British businessman Sir Dave Lewis has been brought in to steer a turnaround, including a $1bn savings plan over the next three years.”
Inherited from Middle English steeren, steren, stiren, sturen, steoren, from Old English stēoran, stīeran, stȳran (“to steer; guide a vessel”), from Proto-West Germanic stiurijan (“to steer”), from Proto-Germanic stiurijaną (“to steer”). The noun is from Middle English steere, stere (“rudder”), steor, from Old English stēor, stȳr (“steering; guidance; direction”). Compare Dutch stuur, German Steuer, Icelandic stýri.
Inherited from Middle English steer, ster, from Old English stēor (“a young bull or cow; steer”), from Proto-Germanic steuraz (“bull; steer”), from Proto-Indo-European (s)táwros (“wild bull; aurochs”). Cognate with Dutch stier, German Stier, Icelandic stjór, Latin taurus (“bull”), Greek ταύρος (távros). Doublet of tur and Taurus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.