sheep

[ sheep ]

/ ʃip /

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See synonyms for: sheep / sheeplike on Thesaurus.com

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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about sheep

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

OTHER WORDS FROM sheep

sheepless, adjectivesheeplike, adjective

Words nearby sheep

sheen, Sheena, Sheene, sheeney, sheeny, sheep, sheepback rock, sheepberry, sheepcote, sheep-dip, sheepdog

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sheep in a sentence

It will be less remembered as a year featuring a diverse roster of scientific anniversaries, ranging from the 1300th birthday of a prolific writer to the 25th birthday of a celebrity sheep.
Top 10 science anniversaries to celebrate in 2021|Tom Siegfried|February 3, 2021|Science News
Merino wool is made from a variety of sheep known for its fine, soft fibers.
The Kora Xenolith Is My Secret Weapon Against the Cold|Wes Siler|February 2, 2021|Outside Online
Around 3,000 years ago a drought in central China drove Mongol herders a thousand miles north into the steppes of Khakassia, in Siberia, where they remained raising horses and sheep for centuries.
The Big Thaw: How Russia Could Dominate a Warming World|by Abrahm Lustgarten, photography by Sergey Ponomarev|December 16, 2020|ProPublica
And, also like Orwell, he diverged from his social set, avoiding college for a career as a sheep farmer in South Africa … even though all he ever wanted was to be a writer.
The Mild-Mannered Poet Who Championed James Bond|Fiona Zublin|November 30, 2020|Ozy

Merino sheep, to be precise, and the wool that is shorn from them in New Zealand that ends up in the comfy sneaker-slippers made by Allbirds.
A woolly story about how Allbirds makes its shoes|Adam Lashinsky|September 22, 2020|Fortune
You will find winding pasture for sheep and highland cattle.
Ester Elchies, The Estate Built By Whiskey||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had to pause for sheep crossing the road, which is a common occurrence when driving through the Highlands of Scotland.
A Whisky Connoisseur Remembers That First Sip of The Macallan||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Farmers, fearing ISIS attacks, have left the city with their sheep.
Remembering Kobani Before The Siege|Mustafa Abdi, Movements.Org, Advancing Human Rights|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He notes that on Naxos sheep have very large gallbladders, but on Euboea they do not.
Why Aristotle Deserves A Posthumous Nobel|Nick Romeo|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Ivy League and other top schools are producing no more than ‘excellent sheep,’ says William Deresiewicz.
The Elite American College Pile-On|Michael S. Roth|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A flock of weary sheep pattered along the road, barnward bound, heavy eyed and bleating softly.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Harry took his bed into the spare-room, and Black Sheep lay down to die.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
The Griffin carried off one sheep a day from a German village, till a man came with a "falchion" and split the Griffin open.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
A little corral for the sheep, and a rough shed for the pony, and the home was complete: far the prettiest home they had ever had.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
And with these, and the society of Jane on board-wages, Black Sheep was left alone for a month.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for sheep (1 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 of sheep

sheeplike, adjective

Word Origin for sheep

Old English sceap; related to Old Frisian skēp, Old Saxon scāp, Old High German scāf

British Dictionary definitions for sheep (2 of 2)

SHEEP

abbreviation for

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

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with sheep

sheep

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

sheep

Idioms about sheep

Origin of sheep

OTHER WORDS FROM sheep

Words nearby sheep

Words related to sheep

How to use sheep in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sheep (1 of 2)

Derived forms of sheep

Word Origin for sheep

British Dictionary definitions for sheep (2 of 2)

Other Idioms and Phrases with sheep