veer

UK: /ˈvɪə^r/ US: /vɪr/ ,(vēr)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

veer¹ /vɪr/   v. 

1. to change direction or course or turn aside;
   shift or change from one course, position, etc., to another: [no object]
   The car veered to the right.
   [~ + object]
   He veered the car across two lanes of traffic.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

veer¹ (vēr),  v.i. 

1. Transport, to change direction or turn about or aside;
   shift, turn, or change from one course, position, inclination, etc., to another:
   The speaker kept veering from his main topic. The car veered off the road.
2. Nautical (of the wind)
   • to change direction clockwise (opposed to back).
   • [Naut.] to shift to a direction more nearly astern (opposed to haul).

v.t. 

3. to alter the direction or course of;
   turn.
4. Nautical to turn (a vessel) away from the wind;
   wear.

n. 

5. a change of direction, position, course, etc.:
   a sudden veer in a different direction.

• Middle French virer to turn
• 1575–85

veer′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. deviate, swerve, diverge.

veer² (vēr), v.t. [Naut.]

1. Nautical to slacken or let out:
   to veer chain.

• Middle Dutch vieren to let out
• late Middle English vere 1425–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

veer / vɪə/ verb

1. to alter direction (of); swing around
2. (intransitive) to change from one position, opinion, etc, to another
3. (intransitive) (of the wind) to change direction clockwise in the northern hemisphere and anticlockwise in the southern
4. to blow from a direction nearer the stern
   Compare haul5

noun

1. a change of course or direction

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French virer, probably of Celtic origin; compare Welsh gwyro to diverge