I. steer 1 /stɪə $ stɪr/ BrE AmE verb
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: stieran ]
1 . CAR/BOAT ETC [intransitive and transitive] to control the direction a vehicle is going, for example by turning a wheel:
He was steering with only one hand.
steer for/towards etc
Steer towards the left.
2 . CHANGE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [transitive] to guide someone’s behaviour or the way a situation develops
steer somebody towards/away from/through etc something
Teachers try to steer pupils away from drugs.
Helen tried to steer the conversation away from herself.
3 . BE IN CHARGE OF [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to be in charge of an organization, team etc and make decisions that help it to be successful, especially during a difficult time
steer something through/to etc something
McKinney steered the company through the recession.
4 . GUIDE SOMEBODY TO A PLACE [transitive] to guide someone to a place, especially while touching them
steer somebody towards/to etc something
Joel steered Don and Louise towards the backyard.
5 . steer clear (of somebody/something) informal to avoid someone or something unpleasant or difficult:
Jo tried to steer clear of political issues.
6 . steer a course to choose a particular way of doing something:
Managers were allowed to steer their own course.
The government chose to steer a middle course between the two strategies (=chose a strategy that was not extreme) .
II. steer 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: steor ]
a young male cow whose sex organs have been removed ⇨ bullock , heifer