Definitions of sheer:

• verb:   cause to sheer

  Example: "She sheered her car around the obstacle"

• verb:   turn sharply; change direction abruptly
• adjective:   not mixed with extraneous elements

  Example: "Sheer wine"

• adjective:   very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front

  Example: "A sheer descent of rock"

• adjective:   so thin as to transmit light

  Example: "Sheer silk stockings"

• adverb:   directly

  Example: "He fell sheer into the water"

• adverb:   straight up or down without a break
• name:  A surname (very rare: popularity rank in the U.S.: #78273)