different between influence vs steer

English

Etymology

From Middle English influence, from Old French influence (“emanation from the stars affecting one's fate”), from Medieval Latin ?nfluentia, from Latin ?nflu?ns (“flowing in”), present active participle of ?nflu? (“flow into”), from in- (“in-”) + flu? (“flow”). Doublet of influenza.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??n.flu.?ns/
• Hyphenation: in?flu?ence

Noun

influence (countable and uncountable, plural influences)

1. The power to affect, control or manipulate something or someone; the ability to change the development of fluctuating things such as conduct, thoughts or decisions.

2. An action exerted by a person or thing with such power on another to cause change.

3. A person or thing exerting such power or action.

   • The animals were thoroughly frightened. It seemed to them as though Snowball were some kind of invisible influence, pervading the air about them and menacing them with all kinds of dangers.

4. (astrology) An element believed to determine someone's character or individual tendencies, caused by the position of the stars and planets at the time of one's birth.
5. (obsolete) The action of flowing in; influx.
   • 1594, Richard Hooker, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie

     God hath his influence into the very essence of all things.

6. (electricity) Electrostatic induction.

Usage notes

• Adjectives often applied to "influence": cultural, political, social, economic, military, personal, moral, intellectual, mental, good, bad, positive, negative, beneficial, harmful, huge, big, heavy, significant, important, potential, actual, primary.

Hyponyms

• social influence

Derived terms

• influencer

Related terms

Translations

Verb

influence (third-person singular simple present influences, present participle influencing, simple past and past participle influenced)

1. (transitive) To have an effect on by using gentle or subtle action; to exert an influence upon; to modify, bias, or sway; to persuade or induce.

   The politician wants to influence the public.

   I must admit that this book influenced my outlook on life.

2. (intransitive) To exert, make use of one's influence.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To cause to flow in or into; infuse; instill.

Derived terms

• influenceable
• influencer
• influencive

Related terms

• influent
• influential
• influenza, flu

Translations

French

Etymology

From Old French influence, borrowed from Medieval Latin ?nfluentia, from Latin ?nflu?ns (“flowing in”), present active participle of ?nflu? (“flow into”), from in- (“in-”) + flu? (“flow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??.fly.??s/

Noun

influence f (plural influences)

1. influence

Derived terms

• zone d'influence

Related terms

Verb

influence

1. first-person singular present indicative of influencer
2. third-person singular present indicative of influencer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of influencer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of influencer
5. second-person singular imperative of influencer

Further reading

• “influence” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin ?nfluentia, from Latin ?nflu?ns (“flowing in”), present active participle of ?nflu? (“flow into”).

Noun

influence f (oblique plural influences, nominative singular influence, nominative plural influences)

1. inundation; flooding; influx of water
2. influence, especially viewed as a mystical force affecting one's fate

Descendants

• ? English: influence
• French: influence

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (influence, supplement)

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /st??(?)/, enPR: st??(r)
• Rhymes: -??(r)

Etymology 1

From Middle English steeren, steren, stiren, sturen, steoren, from Old English st?oran, st?eran, st?ran (“to steer; guide a vessel”), from Proto-West Germanic *stiurijan (“to steer”), from Proto-Germanic *stiurijan? (“to steer”).

The noun is from Middle English steere, stere, steor, from Old English st?or, st?r (“steering; guidance; direction”). Compare Dutch stuur, German Steuer, Icelandic stýri.

Verb

steer (third-person singular simple present steers, present participle steering, simple past and past participle steered)

1. (intransitive) To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).

   The boat steered towards the iceberg.

   I steered homeward.

2. (transitive) To guide the course of a vessel, vehicle, aircraft etc. (by means of a device such as a rudder, paddle, or steering wheel).

   I find it very difficult to steer a skateboard.

   When planning the boat trip, we had completely forgotten that we needed somebody to steer.
3. (intransitive) To be directed and governed; to take a direction, or course; to obey the helm.

   The boat steers easily.
4. (transitive) To direct a group of animals.
5. (transitive) To maneuver or manipulate a person or group into a place or course of action.

   Hume believes that principles of association steer the imagination of artists.

6. (transitive) To direct a conversation.
7. To conduct oneself; to take or pursue a course of action.

Translations

See also

• steering wheel
• torque steer

Noun

steer (plural steers)

1. (informal) A suggestion about a course of action.
2. (obsolete) A helmsman; a pilot.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

Derived terms

• steerless

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English stere, steer, ster, steor, from Old English st?or (“a young bull or cow; steer”), from Proto-Germanic *steuraz (“bull; steer”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)táwros (“wild bull; aurochs”). Cognate with Dutch stier, German Stier, Icelandic stjór, Latin taurus (“bull”), Greek ?????? (távros). Doublet of tur.

Noun

steer (plural steers)

2. The castrated male of cattle, especially one raised for beef production.
   • 1913, Willa Cather, O Pioneers!, chapter 2

     He counted the cattle over and over. It diverted him to speculate as to how much weight each of the steers would probably put on by spring.

Synonyms

• ox

Hypernyms

• cattle

Coordinate terms

• bull, calf, cow

Translations

Verb

steer (third-person singular simple present steers, present participle steering, simple past and past participle steered)

1. (transitive) To castrate (a male calf).

Translations

Anagrams

• Ester, Reset, ester, estre, re-est., reest, reset, retes, seter, stere, teers, teres, terse, trees

Scots

Etymology

From Old English styrian

Noun

steer

1. stir

Anagrams

• Ester, Reset, ester, estre, re-est., reest, reset, retes, seter, stere, terse, trees