Veer

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Veer, v. i. [F. virer (cf. Sp. virar, birar), LL. virare; perhaps fr. L. vibrare to brandish, vibrate (cf. Vibrate); or cf. L. viriae armlets, bracelets, viriola a little bracelet (cf. Ferrule). Cf. Environ.].

 To change direction; to turn; to shift; as, wind veers to the west or north.  Wordsworth.  [1913 Webster]
"And as he leads, the following navy veers."  [1913 Webster]
"an ordinary community which is hostile or friendly as passion or as interest may veer about."  [1913 Webster]

To veer and haul (Naut.), to vary the course or direction; -- said of the wind, which veers aft and hauls forward. The wind is also said to veer when it shifts with the sun.

Veer, v. t. 

 To direct to a different course; to turn; to wear; as, to veer, or wear, a vessel.  [1913 Webster]

To veer and haul (Naut.), to pull tight and slacken alternately. Totten. -- To veer away or To veer out (Naut.), to let out; to slacken and let run; to pay out; as, to veer away the cable; to veer out a rope.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Veer, v. & n.
--v.intr.
1 change direction, esp. (of the wind) clockwise (cf. BACK v. 5).
2 change in course, opinion, conduct, emotions, etc.
3 Naut. = WEAR(2).
--n. a change of course or direction.

Veer, v.tr. Naut. slacken or let out (a rope, cable, etc.).

Etymology

ME f. MDu. vieren

THESAURUS

Veer

L, aberrancy, aberration, about ship, alter, ameliorate, angle, angle off, apex, avert, back and fill, be changed, be converted into, be renewed, bear away, bear off, bear to starboard, beat, beat about, bend, bent, bias, bifurcate, bifurcation, bight, bottom out, box off, branch, branch off, branching off, break, bring about, bring round, cant, cant round, cast, cast about, change, change course, change the bearing, change the heading, checker, chevron, chop, chop and change, circuitousness, coin, come about, come around, come round, corner, crank, crook, crotchet, curve, declination, deflect, deflection, degenerate, depart from, departure, deteriorate, detour, deviance, deviancy, deviate, deviation, deviousness, digress, digression, discursion, divagate, divagation, divaricate, divarication, diverge, divergence, diversify, diversion, divert, dogleg, double, double a point, draw aside, drift, drifting, ease off, edge, edge off, elbow, ell, errantry, excursion, excursus, exorbitation, fetch about, flop, fly off, fork, furcate, furcation, gee, glance, glance off, go about, go crabwise, go off, go sideways, gybe, hairpin, haul around, haw, head off, heave round, heel, hook, improve, indirection, inflection, jib, jibe, jibe all standing, knee, lateral, lateralize, lurch, make leeway, make way for, meliorate, miss stays, mitigate, modulate, move aside, mutate, nook, oblique, obliquity, pererration, pivot, pivot about, ply, point, put about, put back, quoin, rambling, revive, round, round a point, sheer, sheer off, shift, shifting, shifting course, shifting path, shove aside, shunt, shy, shy off, side, sideslip, sidestep, sidetrack, sidle, skew, skid, slant, slew, slue, spin, steer clear of, step aside, straying, sway, sweep, swerve, swerving, swing, swing round, swing the stern, swinging, switch, swivel, tack, take a turn, throw about, trend, turn, turn about, turn around, turn aside, turn away, turn back, turn into, turn round, turn tail, turn the corner, turning, twist, undergo a change, variation, vary, veer around, veer off, vertex, wandering, warp, wear, wear ship, wheel, wheel about, whirl, wind, worsen, yaw, zag, zig, zigzag

ROGET THESAURUS

Veer

Change

VB change, alter, vary, wax and wane, modulate, diversify, qualify, tamper with, turn, shift, veer, tack, chop, shuffle, swerve, warp, deviate, turn aside, evert, intervert, pass to, take a turn, turn the corner, resume, work a change, modify, vamp, superinduce, transform, transfigure, transmute, transmogrify, transume, metamorphose, ring the changes, innovate, introduce new blood, shuffle the cards, give a turn to, give a color to, influence, turn the scale, shift the scene, turn over a new leaf, recast, reverse, disturb, convert into.

Deviation

VB alter one's course, deviate, depart from, turn, trend, bend, curve, swerve, heel, bear off, gybe, wear, intervert, deflect, divert, divert from its course, put on a new scent, shift, shunt, draw aside, crook, warp, stray, straggle, sidle, diverge, tralineate, digress, wander, wind, twist, meander, veer, tack, divagate, sidetrack, turn aside, turn a corner, turn away from, wheel, steer clear of, ramble, rove, drift, go astray, go adrift, yaw, dodge, step aside, ease off, make way for, shy, fly off at a tangent, glance off, wheel about, face about, turn to the right about, face to the right about, waddle, go out of one's way, lose one's way.