Meanings
steer1
verbsteer (third-person singular simple present steers, present participle steering, simple past and past participle steered)
present singular third person steers · participle present steering · participle past steered · past steered
- transitiveTo guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).
I find it very difficult to steer a skateboard.
2 more examples
When planning the boat trip, we had completely forgotten that we needed somebody to steer.
I leap on board: no helmsman steers: I float till all is dark.
1842, Lord Alfred Tennyson, Sir Galahad - intransitiveTo be directed and governed; to take a direction, or course; to obey the helm.
The boat steers easily.
1 more example
Where the wind / Veers oft, as oft [a ship] so steers, and shifts her sail.
1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 9 - reflexiveTo conduct oneself; to take or pursue a course of action.
- transitiveTo direct a conversation.
- transitiveTo direct or send an object into a specific place
Sterling, who scored the winners against Croatia and the Czech Republic in the group stage, steered in Luke Shaw's cross after 75 minutes to send England's fans, with more than 40,000 inside Wembley, into wild celebrations.
2021 June 29, Phil McNulty, “England 2-0 Germany”, in BBC Sport
nounsteer (plural steers)
plural steers
- informalA suggestion about a course of action.
I tried to give you the steer, but I guess I didn't get it over. Everybody knew it but you.
1939, Mark Hellinger, The Roaring Twenties
steer2
verbsteer (third-person singular simple present steers, present participle steering, simple past and past participle steered)
present singular third person steers · participle present steering · participle past steered · past steered
- transitiveTo castrate (a male calf).
Steer3
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe castrated male of cattle, especially one raised for beef production.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounan indication of potential opportunity
Broader
verbdirect the course; determine the direction of travelling
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
steer · verb, noun
- Old Englishstēor
- Middle Englishsteere
- Proto-Germanic*stiurijaną“to steer”
- Proto-West Germanic*stiurijan“to steer”
- Old Englishstēoran
- Middle Englishsteeren
- Englishsteer
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.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →steer · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)táwros“wild bull; aurochs”
- Proto-Germanic*steuraz“bull; steer”
- Old Englishstēor“a young bull or cow; steer”
- Middle Englishsteer
- Englishsteer
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.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κυβερνάω, κυβερνάω
- κυβερνάω (kubernáō)intransitive: guide the course
- κυβερνάω (kubernáō)transitive: guide the course of
Arabic قَادَ, قَادَ
- قَادَ (qāda)intransitive: guide the course
- قَادَ (qāda)transitive: guide the course of
- ثَوْر (ṯawr)castrated male of cattle
Basque gidatu
- gidatuintransitive: guide the course
Bulgarian подкарвам, насочвам
- подкарвам (podkarvam)direct a group of animals
- насочвам (nasočvam)direct the conversation
- насочвам се (nasočvam se)intransitive: guide the course
- управлявам (upravljavam)transitive: guide the course of
- насочвам се (nasočvam se)transitive: guide the course of
- намек (namek)informal: suggestion about course of action
Catalan manejar, dur (la conversa)
- manejardirect the conversation
- dur (la conversa)direct the conversation
- dirigirdirect the conversation
- guiarintransitive: guide the course
- portarintransitive: guide the course
- menarintransitive: guide the course
- governarintransitive: guide the course
- dirigirtransitive: guide the course of
- boucastrated male of cattle
- castrarcastrate a male calf
- caparcastrate a male calf
Chinese Mandarin 驱赶, 控制
- 驱赶 (qūgǎn)direct a group of animals
- 控制 (kòngzhì)maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- 掌管 (zhǎnguǎn)maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- 掌舵 (zhǎngduò)intransitive: guide the course
- 驾驶 (jiàshǐ)intransitive: guide the course
- 指导 (zhǐdǎo)transitive: guide the course of
- 引导 (yǐndǎo)transitive: guide the course of
- 指导 (zhǐdǎo)informal: suggestion about course of action
- 引导 (yǐndǎo)informal: suggestion about course of action
- 閹公牛 /阉公牛 (yān gōng niú)castrated male of cattle
- 阉割 (yāngē)castrate a male calf
Czech nahánět, hnát
- nahánětdirect a group of animals
- hnátdirect a group of animals
- nasměrovatmaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- směřovatdirect the conversation
- říditintransitive: guide the course
- řídittransitive: guide the course of
- směrovattransitive: guide the course of
- vůlcastrated male of cattle
- kastrovatcastrate a male calf
- vykastrovatcastrate a male calf
Danish styre, styre
- styredirect a group of animals
- styredirect the conversation
- styreintransitive: guide the course
- styretransitive: guide the course of
- studcastrated male of cattle
Dutch drijven, leiden
- drijvendirect a group of animals
- leidenmaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- begeleidenmaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- besturentransitive: guide the course of
- oscastrated male of cattle
Esperanto gvidi, estrigi
- gvididirect a group of animals
- estrigimaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- irigimaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- plifaciligidirect the conversation
- stiriĝiintransitive: guide the course
- stiritransitive: guide the course of
- gvidoinformal: suggestion about course of action
- kastrita bovocastrated male of cattle
- kastricastrate a male calf
Estonian juhtima, karjatama
- juhtimadirect a group of animals
- karjatamadirect a group of animals
- juhtimaintransitive: guide the course
- juhtimatransitive: guide the course of
Finnish ajaa, paimentaa
- ajaadirect a group of animals
- paimentaadirect a group of animals
- ohjatamaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- ohjaillamaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- johdattaamaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- johdatellamaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- ohjatadirect the conversation
- ohjailladirect the conversation
- ohjataintransitive: guide the course
- ajaaintransitive: guide the course
- ohjatatransitive: guide the course of
- ajaatransitive: guide the course of
- vinkkiinformal: suggestion about course of action
- härkäcastrated male of cattle
French conduire, guider
- conduireintransitive: guide the course
- guiderintransitive: guide the course
- dirigerintransitive: guide the course
- piloterintransitive: guide the course
- barrerintransitive: guide the course
- bœufcastrated male of cattle
German steuern, steuern
- steuernintransitive: guide the course
- steuerntransitive: guide the course of
- Ochsecastrated male of cattle
- Mastochsecastrated male of cattle
Hebrew נוהג, מוביל
- נוהג (nohég)direct a group of animals
- מוביל (movíl)maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- מנהלdirect the conversation
- מנחה (mankhé)direct the conversation
- נוהג (nohég)intransitive: guide the course
- נוהג ב־ (nohég b-)transitive: guide the course of
Hindi बात आगे बढ़ाना
- बात आगे बढ़ाना (bāt āge baṛhānā)direct the conversation
Hungarian terel, terel
- tereldirect a group of animals
- tereldirect the conversation
- kormányozdirect the conversation
- irányítdirect the conversation
- kormányozintransitive: guide the course
- irányítintransitive: guide the course
- vezetintransitive: guide the course
- kormányoztransitive: guide the course of
- irányíttransitive: guide the course of
- tinócastrated male of cattle
Italian condurre, condurre
- condurredirect a group of animals
- condurredirect the conversation
- sterzareintransitive: guide the course
- guidaretransitive: guide the course of
- dirigeretransitive: guide the course of
- governaretransitive: guide the course of
- manovraretransitive: guide the course of
- manzocastrated male of cattle
- buecastrated male of cattle
Japanese 率いる, 導く
- 率いる (hikiiru)direct a group of animals
- 導く (michibiku)direct a group of animals
- 率いる (hikiiru)maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- 導く (michibiku)maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- 導く (michibiku)direct the conversation
- 操縦する (sōjū suru)intransitive: guide the course
- 舵を取る (kaji wo toru)intransitive: guide the course
- 操舵する (sōda suru)intransitive: guide the course
- 運転する (unten suru)intransitive: guide the course
- 操縦する (sōjū suru)transitive: guide the course of
- 舵を取る (kaji wo toru)transitive: guide the course of
- 操舵する (sōda suru)transitive: guide the course of
- 助言 (jogen)informal: suggestion about course of action
- 去勢雄牛castrated male of cattle
Korean 수송아지
- 수송아지 (susong'aji)castrated male of cattle
Latin gubernō, iuvencus
- gubernōtransitive: guide the course of
- iuvencuscastrated male of cattle
Latvian virzīt, virzīt
- virzītdirect a group of animals
- virzītmaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- vērstmaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- vērstdirect the conversation
- vadītintransitive: guide the course
- stūrētintransitive: guide the course
- vadīttransitive: guide the course of
- mājiensinformal: suggestion about course of action
- jauns vērsiscastrated male of cattle
Māori tia, ue
- tiaintransitive: guide the course
- ueintransitive: guide the course
- urungiintransitive: guide the course
- rūnāintransitive: guide the course
- ueintransitive: guide the course
- rūnātransitive: guide the course of
- whakateretransitive: guide the course of
- urungitransitive: guide the course of
- tiatransitive: guide the course of
- ōkihacastrated male of cattle
- tiacastrated male of cattle
Persian گاو گوشتی
- گاو گوشتی (gāv-e gušti)castrated male of cattle
Polish kierować, sterować
- kierowaćintransitive: guide the course
- sterowaćintransitive: guide the course
- kierowaćtransitive: guide the course of
- sterowaćtransitive: guide the course of
- młody wółcastrated male of cattle
Portuguese conduzir, levar a
- conduzirdirect a group of animals
- levar amaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- direcionardirect the conversation
- direcionarintransitive: guide the course
- guiarintransitive: guide the course
- direcionartransitive: guide the course of
- guiartransitive: guide the course of
- boicastrated male of cattle
- caparcastrate a male calf
- castrarcastrate a male calf
Romanian conduce, cârmi
- conduceintransitive: guide the course
- cârmiintransitive: guide the course
- dirijaintransitive: guide the course
- conducetransitive: guide the course of
- boucastrated male of cattle
Russian вести́, вести́
- вести́ (vestí)maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- вести́direct the conversation
- управля́ть (upravljátʹ)intransitive: guide the course
- пра́вить рулём (právitʹ ruljóm)transitive: guide the course of
- управля́ть (upravljátʹ)transitive: guide the course of
- води́ть (vodítʹ)transitive: guide the course of
- кастри́рованный бычо́к (kastrírovannyj byčók)castrated male of cattle
- бычо́к-кастра́т (byčók-kastrát)castrated male of cattle
- молодо́й во́л (molodój vól)castrated male of cattle
Spanish llevar, manejar
- llevardirect a group of animals
- manejardirect the conversation
- dirigirdirect the conversation
- dirigirintransitive: guide the course
- conducirintransitive: guide the course
- dirigirtransitive: guide the course of
- conducirtransitive: guide the course of
- guiartransitive: guide the course of
- bueycastrated male of cattle
Swedish leda, styra
- ledadirect a group of animals
- styramaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- ledamaneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action
- styradirect the conversation
- styraintransitive: guide the course
- styratransitive: guide the course of
- stutcastrated male of cattle
Thai ถือพวงมาลัย
- ถือพวงมาลัย (tĕu puang maalai)intransitive: guide the course
Turkish yönetmek
- yönetmektransitive: guide the course of
Welsh bustach
- bustachcastrated male of cattle
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with steer
hereyearclearnearcareerheargearappearwearfearvolunteermirrorpremierdearbeerseverepeerearpioneerPierredeermeretiersheer
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
steer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steer
MLA
“steer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steer. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “steer,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/steer.
Source: steer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.