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Glite Dictionary
unsheared

unsheared

8.2
An animal with thick natural wool or fur still on it
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌnˈʃɪrd/
translation icon : sin esquilar
  • The sheep's wool was still unsheared, making it look fluffy and full.

Examples

  • The unsheared areas of the animal's coat kept it warm during the winter.

  • Farmers often prefer unsheared sheep for breeding to maintain quality fleece.

  • In the unsheared patches, she hunted for the tiny yellow flowers on the tip of rabbit grass, ripped them from the ground in clumps, and chewed the bitter tanginess from them.

    Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

uncut
vsunsheared
6 3.9

Left in its natural state without being cut or trimmed

is specific to animal fleece or hair not cut for removal
unshorn
vsunsheared
1 7.4

Not cut, often describing hair or wool

is broader, used for any fleece or hair not cut

Antonyms

sheared
3.9

Cut to an even short length to make wool or fur smooth for clothing

How Sheared

shorn
3 6.6
sheared
3.7
unsheared
8.2
long-wooled
  • Specialized
8.6

Surface Forms

unsheared positive

Morphology

unsheared = sheared (transparent) = un + shear + ed

The adjective is formed by prefixing 'un-' to 'sheared' and directly means 'not sheared', which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

The word unsheared comes from un- meaning 'not' and shear meaning 'to cut', like the shears farmers use to cut a sheep's wool. So unsheared means 'not cut' and describes wool, fur, or hair that has not been clipped.