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• sheep
  sheep

  noun

  any of numerous ruminant mammals of the genus Ovis, of the family Bovidae, closely related to the goats, especially O. aries, bred in a number of domesticated varieties.
• SHEEP
  SHEEP

  abbreviation

  Sky High Earnings Expectations Possibly: applied to investments that appear to offer high returns but may be unreliable

sheep

American  

[sheep] / ʃip /

noun

• sheep
  plural

1. any of numerous ruminant mammals of the genus Ovis, of the family Bovidae, closely related to the goats, especially O. aries, bred in a number of domesticated varieties.

2. leather made from the skin of these animals.

3. a meek, unimaginative, or easily led person.

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idioms

1. separate the sheep from the goats, to separate good people from bad or those intended for a specific end from unqualified people.

sheep ¹ British  

/ ʃiːp /

noun

1. any of various bovid mammals of the genus Ovis and related genera, esp O. aries ( domestic sheep ), having transversely ribbed horns and a narrow face. There are many breeds of domestic sheep, raised for their wool and for meat

2. another name for aoudad

3. a meek or timid person, esp one without initiative

4. to pick out the members of any group who are superior in some respects

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SHEEP ² British  

abbreviation

1. Sky High Earnings Expectations Possibly: applied to investments that appear to offer high returns but may be unreliable

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sheep More Idioms  

1. see black sheep; hanged for a sheep; separate the sheep from the goats; wolf in sheep's clothing.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sheepless
  adjective
• sheeplike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sheep
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of sheep

before 900; Middle English; Old English (north) scēp; cognate with Dutch schaap, German Schaf

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Explanation

A sheep is a four-legged farm animal with a thick, wooly coat. Sheep are raised for this wool, as well as for meat, and they're known for their habit of staying close together in a flock. If you have a big flock of sheep, you might want to consider a herding dog or two to keep them in line. Have trouble falling asleep? Try counting sheep, a time-honored method of visualizing one sheep after another jumping over a fence, until you drift off. Sheep can also be used to describe people who never act independently and simply follow the crowd.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sheep SHEEP

In the south, most Arabs are Bedouins, mainly Sunni Muslims who descended from nomadic clans that roamed the Negev Desert herding camels and sheep.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

In Northern Ireland, the sheep population has fallen for several years with the most recent stats from 2024 showing 1.9 million sheep across the region.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

In Scotland, sheep have also played a pivotal role in the rural economy for generations and Scotland's sheep population there has been more stable in recent years at around 6.5 million.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Some 1,200 sheep are brought in to graze on the crops in between rice harvests, and they leave behind organic matter, which enriches the soil naturally.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Akira was so surprised she almost jumped out of her saddle, but like the other animals, the bighorn sheep barely noticed that she and Dodger were there.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

"Well, I like SHEEP, then," said Maud; "I don't really see how we can stop it."

From Watersprings by Arthur Christopher Benson

He wrote "HORSES" over the front door, "COWS" over the side door, and "SHEEP" on the kitchen door.

From The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Sir Hugh Walpole

SHEEP, in the spiritual world, are the representative forms of the state of innocence and peace of the inhabitants, 75.

From The Delights of Wisdom Pertaining to Conjugial Love by Emanuel Swedenborg

See the articles on the various sorts of crops; also CATTLE, HORSE, PIG, SHEEP, &c.;

From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg

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