definitions

sheep

[ sheep ]
/ ʃip /
|

noun, plural sheep.

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.
leather made from the skin of these animals.
a meek, unimaginative, or easily led person.

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Nearby words

sheen, sheena, sheene, sheeney, sheeny, sheep, sheep fescue, sheep laurel, sheep measles, sheep race, sheep sorrel

Idioms

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

Origin of sheep

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

Related forms

sheep·less, adjectivesheep·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for separate the sheep from the goats (1 of 2)

SHEEP

abbreviation for

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

British Dictionary definitions for separate the sheep from the goats (2 of 2)

sheep

/ (ʃiːp) /

noun plural sheep

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 meatRelated adjective: ovine
Barbary sheep another name for aoudad
a meek or timid person, esp one without initiative
separate the sheep from the goats to pick out the members of any group who are superior in some respects

Derived Forms

sheeplike, adjective

Word Origin for sheep

Old English sceap; related to Old Frisian skēp, Old Saxon scāp, Old High German scāf
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with separate the sheep from the goats (1 of 2)

separate the sheep from the goats

Distinguish between good and bad individuals, or superior and inferior ones. For example, In a civil war where both sides commit atrocities, you can't separate the sheep from the goats. This term refers to Jesus's prophecy in the New Testament (Matthew 25:32) that the sheep (that is, the compassionate) will sit on God's right hand (and find salvation), and the goats (the hard-hearted) will sit on the left (and be sent to damnation).

Idioms and Phrases with separate the sheep from the goats (2 of 2)

sheep

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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.