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sheer number

English translation: very large number (context dependant)

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	sheer number
English translation:	very large number (context dependant)
Entered by:	Abdelmonem Samir

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16:10 Aug 5, 2006

English to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Government / Politics / sayings

English term or phrase: sheer number

I tried the 'total number' but it didn't make much sense to me, I have a feeling it is " the great number", am I correct?

Context (About Multilateral peace missions in 2005):

"Besides the sheer number of operations deployed today—only 40 peace operations in all were deployed between 1948 and 1989—the present landscape is marked by increasingly costly and complex operations, with various functions and conducted by a multitude of actors."

Abdelmonem Samir KudoZ activity Questions: 163 (none open) (2 closed without grading) Answers: 1017
Local time: 04:03

operations are not only happening with increased frequency but their complexity has increased too

Explanation:
-

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Note added at 5 mins (2006-08-05 16:15:30 GMT)
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By "Besides sheer number" the author means to say that not only is the number of operations very large but also something else - in this case their complexity is increasing.

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Note added at 7 mins (2006-08-05 16:17:26 GMT)
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The word sheer means that the number of operations is very large but I was trying to explain how it is used to tie the sentence together logically here.

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Note added at 7 mins (2006-08-05 16:18:09 GMT)
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Yep, it means very large and in this case, problematically so.

Selected response from:

Konstantin Kisin
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:03

Grading comment

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +6

operations are not only happening with increased frequency but their complexity has increased too

Konstantin Kisin

5 +2

Sheer means absolute or complete/whole so...

Anna Maria Augustin

4 +1

not just the large number, but also...

Tony M

3 +1

the utter / the out-and-out volume of operations

xxxjarry

besides the pure number

xxxsergey

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

operations are not only happening with increased frequency but their complexity has increased too

Konstantin Kisin
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:03
Specializes in field
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: I need the word "sheer", please.

Asker: So, "sheer" means "large"? is it "the large number"?

13 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

Sheer means absolute or complete/whole so...

Explanation:
Besides the sheer numbers....

Or aside from the sheer numbers...

The rest is just fine.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com sheer
Encyclopedia

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Note added at 16 mins (2006-08-05 16:26:31 GMT)
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In the context, they mean the enormous/immense number or numbers but you can keep sheer.
You can also use number or numbers, plural.

Anna Maria Augustin
France
Local time: 04:03
Specializes in field
PRO pts in category: 12

29 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

the utter / the out-and-out volume of operations

Explanation:
But 'sheer number' expresses it best.

xxxjarry
South Africa
Local time: 04:03
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

12 mins confidence:

besides the pure number

Explanation:
would it more sense?

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Note added at 13 mins (2006-08-05 16:23:45 GMT)
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make

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Note added at 19 mins (2006-08-05 16:30:04 GMT)
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it's not that the number of operations that matters, it's their complexity and cost

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Note added at 23 mins (2006-08-05 16:33:34 GMT)
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an example with 'pure', which i beleave to be a synonym of 'sheer' in this case:

Apart from the pure number of instructions executed per second, there has been another hurdle to be overcome before experiments would become feasible ...
www.springerlink.com/index/X82781026HU4J5V4.pdf

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Note added at 28 mins (2006-08-05 16:38:26 GMT)
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sheer 1 |ʃɪə| adjective 1 [ attrib. ] nothing other than; unmitigated (used for emphasis) : she giggled with sheer delight | marriage is sheer hard work.

nothing other than - pure

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Note added at 31 mins (2006-08-05 16:41:25 GMT)
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yep, pure IS a synonym here:

Greedy Gretchen giggled with pure delight and in a high, girly, bimbo voice declared with utter certainty: “I WANNA BE A BIMBO!” ...
www.asstr.org/~mcstories/ BimboTechWiggleRoom/BimboTechWiggleRoom3.html

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Note added at 32 mins (2006-08-05 16:43:06 GMT)
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utter - is another synonym of 'sheer'

xxxsergey
Local time: 03:03

37 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

besides the sheer number not just the large number, but also...

Explanation:
You cannot isolate the word 'sheer' in this sentence, it's meaning is inextricably linked with the rest.

Although 'sheer' does imply that the number is large/significant, its use with 'besides' here conveys an extra meaning of 'not just.. but'

I realize I'm only repeating what others have already said, but I though this explanation might help clarify the useage for you.

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Note added at 5 hrs (2006-08-05 21:34:37 GMT)
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... or even the usage!

Tony M
France
Local time: 04:03
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

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Changes made by editors

Aug 5, 2006 - Changes made by Konstantin Kisin:
Level	Non-PRO => PRO

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