steer clear of
to avoid someone or something
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
The authors of the study also recommend that younger children STEER CLEAR OF energy drinks.
(Yahoo News)
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Muslim Leaders Warn Youth to STEER CLEAR OF ISIS Influence
(Time Warner Cable news)
(Yahoo News)
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Muslim Leaders Warn Youth to STEER CLEAR OF ISIS Influence
(Time Warner Cable news)
Did you
know?
steer clear of (something or someone)
idiom
- to avoid someone or something that seems unpleasant, dangerous, or likely to cause problems
(Cambridge Dictionary)
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It's not uncommon for a word to take on two different meanings that originate from two different etymological sources. Steer is a good example.
The verb "to steer," which means to guide the course of a vehicle, derives from the Old English "steran" which referred to guiding, directing, governing or ruling. It originally described a rudder for steering a boat and ultimately stemmed from a Proto-Indo-European word for rudder (steuro), which also resulted in the German "steuern," to steer. So in a figurative sense to steer clear of something is to navigate around a potential problem in order to avoid it.
The noun form not only means something different, it also has another origin. A steer is a young bull or ox that has been castrated and raised for beef. In this context the word steer derives from the Old English "steor," a term that ultimately traces back to the Latin taurus, which is also the name of one of the most prominent and visible star constellations in the sky.
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SYNONYMS
avoid, avert, circumvent, dodge, eschew, keep clear of, shy from, sidestep, stay away from
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SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"If you go out at night, steer clear of this part of the city."
idiom
- to avoid someone or something that seems unpleasant, dangerous, or likely to cause problems
(Cambridge Dictionary)
---
It's not uncommon for a word to take on two different meanings that originate from two different etymological sources. Steer is a good example.
The verb "to steer," which means to guide the course of a vehicle, derives from the Old English "steran" which referred to guiding, directing, governing or ruling. It originally described a rudder for steering a boat and ultimately stemmed from a Proto-Indo-European word for rudder (steuro), which also resulted in the German "steuern," to steer. So in a figurative sense to steer clear of something is to navigate around a potential problem in order to avoid it.
The noun form not only means something different, it also has another origin. A steer is a young bull or ox that has been castrated and raised for beef. In this context the word steer derives from the Old English "steor," a term that ultimately traces back to the Latin taurus, which is also the name of one of the most prominent and visible star constellations in the sky.
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SYNONYMS
avoid, avert, circumvent, dodge, eschew, keep clear of, shy from, sidestep, stay away from
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"If you go out at night, steer clear of this part of the city."
