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English word origin

Etymology of veer

Borrowed from Middle Dutch vieren (“to slacken”).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To let out (a sail-line), to allow (a sheet) to run out.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Middle Dutch vieren (“to slacken”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "dum:vieren<t:to slacken>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"gloss\" : \"to slacken\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle Dutch\", \"term\" : \"vieren\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"dum\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"veer\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"veer\">\nBorrowed from Middle Dutch vieren (“to slacken”)."
    },
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      "expansion": "Borrowed from Middle Dutch vieren (“to slacken”)."
    }
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    [
      "vieren",
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    ]
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  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
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        "To let out (a sail-line), to allow (a sheet) to run out."
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To change direction or course suddenly; to swerve. · To shift in a clockwise direction (if in the Northern Hemisphere, or in a counterclockwise direction if in the Southern Hemisphere). · To shift aft. · To change direction into the wind; to wear ship.

noun

A turn or swerve; an instance of veering.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Middle French virer.

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "frm:virer",
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      },
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    },
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  "links": [
    [
      "virer",
      "virer#Middle_French"
    ]
  ],
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To change direction or course suddenly; to swerve.",
        "To shift in a clockwise direction (if in the Northern Hemisphere, or in a counterclockwise direction if in the Southern Hemisphere).",
        "To shift aft.",
        "To change direction into the wind; to wear ship."
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        "A turn or swerve; an instance of veering."
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for veer →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-dmVlcg