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.
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
another name for aoudad
a meek or timid person, esp one without initiative
to pick out the members of any group who are superior in some respects
before 900; Middle English; Old English (north) scēp; cognate with Dutch schaap, German Schaf
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.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rising sun bathes the rolling Herefordshire hillsides in a warm glow as birds gently chirp and sheep graze in the fields.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
"We don't want them getting up at 5 in the morning to check their livestock and finding that their herd of sheep has been dispersed and there's animal carcasses across the farm."
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
You may feel like the black sheep of your family, but you can be the North Star of your own life, and your son’s life, and your friends’ lives.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
No revolutionary, Wood writes, “defended with more vehemence common ordinary people against the aristocracy—‘against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle, and fed and cloathed like swine and hounds.’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Llamas apparently scare coyotes and are used on sheep farms to protect the flocks.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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
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 Swedenborg, Emanuel
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 Walpole, Hugh, Sir
"Well, I like SHEEP, then," said Maud; "I don't really see how we can stop it."
From Watersprings by Benson, Arthur Christopher
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
