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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

Etymology

Origin of sheep

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

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

Cattle and sheep died by the hundreds of thousands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

The EU ban on live sheep exports expires at the end of 2026.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

They also do farmwork, like harvesting corn, herding sheep, caring for cows and chopping wood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

He runs a number of farms, specialising in pigs, sheep and crops for bread and cereal production and his costs have increased in recent years.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

But in Miss Penelope Lumley’s day, modern art had not yet been invented, and a painting of a sheep was universally expected to show legs, wool, and a fluffy tail.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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

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

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

From Watersprings by Arthur Christopher Benson

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

Related Words

• darkness
• fog
• gloom
• mist
• puff
• smog
• smoke
• steam
• vapor
• veil