shearing stress

(mechanics) A stress in which the material on one side of a surface pushes on the material on the other side of the surface with a force which is parallel to the surface. Also known as shear stress; tangential stress.

The internal induced force that opposes the sliding of one plane of the material on the adjacent plane in a direction parallel to the stress.

A system of shear forces in equilibrium producing or tending to produce shear. For example, shear stress occurs across a section of bone loaded transversely and also across sections of the shaft of the bone subject to torque. The magnitude of stress across the section depends on the shape of the section.